Last week’s Don Wagner for Senate fundraiser, with a host committee headlined by Rep. Mimi Walters and a cross-section of leading Orange County elected officials and Republican leaders, raised approximately $150,000, according to sources close to the Wagner campaign. Rep. Walters vacated the 37th Senate District when she was sworn into Congress January 3, thereby triggering the special election.
The January 29 event drew about 150 people “McCullough’s Man Cave:
That is a huge boost for Wagner and greatly augment’s his already significant fundraising advantage over former Supervisor John Moorlach. The deadline for campaign reports covering January 1-31 period aren’t due until February 15, but based what the two candidates can and/or have transferred into their Senate accounts, plus what the $1,000+ donations they’ve received since the election was called, Wagner now has around $380,000 for his state Senate campaign. Moorlach has maybe $14,000. Vote-by-mail ballots go out February 16. Since 65%-70% voters will cast their ballots via mail, the campaign with the wherewithal to communicate with these voters will have a huge advantage – and the Wagner campaign is currently the only one in that category.
