Loretta Sanchez trails Kamala Harris in Senate fundraising

Rep. Loretta Sanchez reported $1.1 million in the bank for her U.S. Senate campaign at the end of June, well behind the $2.9 million that her chief rival, Kamala Harris, has collected for the race, according to financial filings released Wednesday.

Sanchez, a Garden Grove Democrat, received $618,421 in campaign contributions in the three-month period that ended June 30, along with a transfer of $516,114 that she had initially raised to run for reelection to the House, according to her report.

Harris, a fellow Democrat who is California’s attorney general, reported $2.9 million cash on hand at the end of the reporting period, along with more than $240,000 in unpaid bills. Harris said she was “humbled by the outpouring of support.”

She also reported a much faster rate of spending than Sanchez.

The attorney general spent more than $900,000 in three months, while Sanchez spent just over $44,000. Most of the money Harris spent covered consultants’ fees and travel costs for intensive fundraising around the country.

Sanchez, who announced her Senate candidacy on May 13, said she’d had “a very hectic 45 days” raising money but had shown “tremendous fundraising potential in this short period.”
“Old and new friends have been very generous,” she said.

Harris and Sanchez are leading contenders in the June 2016 primary to succeed Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer, who is not seeking reelection.

Republicans running for the seat include Assemblyman Rocky J. Chavez of Oceanside and former state party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro of the Bay Area.

Chavez spokesman Justin Glover said the assemblyman had raised $60,350 and spent $42,409 in the three months ending June 30. At that rate, Chavez will have trouble running a viable campaign.

Del Beccaro’s report was not immediately available.

Twitter: @finneganLAT