Using a political tool that sidesteps campaign financing limits, Los Angeles labor unions have raised an unprecedented $2.5 million to elect state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas to the county Board of Supervisors.
Before voters head to the polls in June, union officials say they will add an additional $1.5 million to the "independent expenditure committee" pot.
"It is a tribute to my colleagues and brothers and sisters in labor," said Tyrone Freeman, the head of Service Employees International Union Local 6434, one of the contributors to the Alliance for a Stronger Community.
Beyond being a record for fundraising in a supervisor race or even for Los Angeles mayor, the support is helping Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) far outstrip the resources of his chief opponent, Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard C. Parks, who has been endorsed by more high-profile political and business leaders, including retiring Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke.
Although financing laws prohibit an individual from giving more than $1,000 directly to a campaign, it is legal to give unlimited amounts to independent committees as long as the groups do not coordinate or consult with the candidate.
Parks surpassed his opponent's fundraising during the first quarter of the year, raising nearly double Ridley-Thomas' $354,000.
But labor's backing, usually a strong tool for turn-out-the-vote efforts, has injected a dramatic financial boost amounting to more than $6 for every $1 that Ridley-Thomas' campaign committee has raised. The next deadline for candidates and committees to report contributions is May 22.
Ridley-Thomas is "going to need his own message out there, but clearly it makes it easier for him because there's money being spent on his behalf," said Robert Stern, president of the Los Angeles-based Center for Governmental Studies.
Although both candidates are Democrats, Parks says he wants to find ways to trim county spending; Ridley-Thomas says he wants to ensure that all workers receive a living wage.
The 2nd District race is the first strongly contested supervisors' election in the 16 years since Burke first won the seat. Union officials have called it a top local priority, in part because once elected, supervisors rarely are defeated.
"In a sense, you're probably looking at a 12-year term," Stern said, referring to the restriction that now limits supervisors to no more than three terms. "That's why it's so important for the unions and business to elect their person now."
