Financier Bill Simon Jr., who for months had been reluctant to criticize Richard Riordan, on Thursday unleashed his first attack ad against his friend and GOP rival, accusing the former Los Angeles mayor of being "ashamed to be a Republican."
The sharp-edged Simon spot opens up a second front for Riordan, who already is facing a $7.5-million television advertising blitz by Gov. Gray Davis, the incumbent Democrat in the race for governor of California.
Over the last month, Davis has engaged in an unusual strategy to influence the Republican contest.
He has pumped millions into his ad campaign attacking Riordan on the emotional issues of abortion and the death penalty, even though Davis has no serious opposition in his own primary.
The paid television campaign is heating up as the race enters a pivotal phase, with strategists making the tactical decisions that will carry them through election day.
Campaign disclosure reports filed Thursday indicate that Simon and Riordan dramatically stepped up their fund-raising over the last few weeks, pulling in several million dollars in February. Secretary of State Bill Jones trailed far behind the other two.
Overall, the three Republicans have raised more than $23 million for their campaign efforts to unseat Davis.
From Jan. 20 through Saturday, Simon, a multimillionaire, led the pack with $2.4 million, mostly in loans to himself. Riordan raised $2.1 million, while Jones collected $532,000.
Simon turned his financial advantage into a major advertising purchase on Thursday.
His campaign placed orders for more than $1 million in spots over the next week--with sources saying that is just the beginning of a stepped-up effort ahead of the March 5 primary. Simon also loaned his campaign an additional $1 million this week.
Simon's ads Thursday came in response to a spot Riordan began airing 24 hours earlier. The Riordan ad took aim at the wealthy Pacific Palisades businessman by questioning Simon's business acumen and involvement with a failed savings and loan.
Although the airwaves were thick with activity Thursday, two of the three major Republican candidates stayed largely out of view.
Simon had no public events, and Jones scheduled an event near a San Jose fund-raiser featuring Vice President Dick Cheney, but canceled it due to scheduling difficulties.
Riordan, meanwhile, campaigned at a conference of electrical power traders at a resort outside Palm Springs.
