California GOP money pours into Faulconer campaign

The battle for San Diego's mayoral seat continues to draw cash from some of the city's biggest special interests, most notably wealthy Republican U-T San Diego publisher Douglas Manchester and archrival/billionaire Democrat Irwin Jacobs, duking it out on behalf of Republican city councilman Kevin Faulconer and newly hatched Democrat Nathan Fletcher, respectively.

Now the California Republican Party has gotten into the act with a big-money push for Faulconer.

As previously reported, Manchester and Jacobs have already put plenty of personal cash on the line in the mayoral contest, which also features labor-endorsed Democratic city councilman David Alvarez, who yesterday padded his putative seven-figure base of support with a cool $35,000 from the Sacramento-based California Nurses Association to San Diego Democratic Party coffers.

Similarly, Manchester and other Faulconer partisans have been giving heavily to the state Republican committee, which in turn has sunk a total of $172,879 so far into the Faulconer for Mayor cause, according to its latest report, covering the period between October 6 through 19.

In addition to Manchester, San Diego–linked contributors during the period included National City's Corky McMillan Companies ($25,000); the San Diego Lodging Industry Association ($18,000); Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation ($50,000); Barona Band of Mission Indians ($25,000); Walmart Stores ($50,000); and Chargers owner Alex Spanos ($15,000).

Making so-called in-kind contributions to the California GOP were tobacco giant Phillip Morris, which kicked in "survey and polling" worth $24,339; and the E. & J. Gallo Winery, with $3439 worth of wine.

In addition to its spending for Faulconer, the Republicans laid out $76,602 for other causes and candidates during the period; precisely how the contributions to the GOP were specifically earmarked is not possible to track.