The first finance reports filed for the special election next February to replace State Senator Lou 
Correa (D) on the Orange County Board of Supervisors show Carlos Bustamante, Republican Councilman from Santa Ana (pictured to the right), with an early lead of $117,000 raised and $110,000 cash on hand. (I have previously reported that Tom Umberg, former Democrat Assemblyman, would enter the race with a potential financial advantage because of $45,000 in left over funds from his losing State Senate race to Correa, most of which is usable in the Supervisor race.)
But the Bustamante reports reveal a lot more than just his finances: names of Orange County Lincoln Club members dominated the report as giving maximum donations. You can expect that the Lincoln Club will surely endorse Bustamante for the position before the election.
According to the reports, contributors to Bustamante at the maximum amount included Lincoln Club leaders Doy Henley, Dale Dykema and wife, and Buck Johns through his Inland Group. Other friends of this central group, and members of the Lincoln Club include Bircher family members, Julianne Argyros, Paul Makarechian and his Capitol Pacific Holdings (St. Regis, Dana Point), Ware Disposal and Ware family members, Rainbow Disposal, and Gen-X PAC.
Santa Ana developer and good guy Mike Harrah contributed the maximum amount through his business, Caribou Industries, along with Roger Faubel, former Mission Viejo City Councilmember. The popular Jerry Amante, another OC City Council member, and Diane Harkey, a Dana Point Councilmember who lost the recent special 35th State Senate race to Tom Harman, also popped for the maximum amount to Bustamante.
Most of Bustamante’s contributions were at the maximum level, with very few reported small contributions, such as $100 from Laguna Beach Councilmember Elizabeth Pearson and $100 from OC millionaire Paul Salata. Sustaining the fund drive will be central to his chances of victory, and therefore expect his friends in the Lincoln Club to keep the pressure on members to cough up.