Campbell Appears to Hold Early Funding Lead : Election: Finance reports show Fillmore councilman has raised $41,275 for County Board of Supervisors contest in March.

Fillmore City Councilman Roger Campbell, a candidate for an open seat on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, has raised more than $41,000 in contributions to boost his campaign, according to campaign finance reports filed Monday.

In separate races, incumbent Supervisors John K. Flynn and Susan K. Lacey are outpacing their challengers, according to reports filed with the county elections office.

But Campbell, who is seeking to replace retiring Supervisor Maggie Kildee, appears to hold the fund-raising lead in all three supervisor races. So far, he has collected $41,275 in campaign contributions for the March 26 election. He had $18,582 in cash on hand as of Sept. 30.

“I believe it will take quite a bit more money to get my message out,� said Campbell, who was endorsed Monday by the unions representing sheriff’s deputies and deputy district attorneys.

Al Escoto, a Kildee assistant and Campbell rival, has raised $1,675 in contributions and had a cash balance of $904 at the end of September. Kathy Long, another Kildee aide who has joined the race, had not raised enough money to file a campaign statement.

A campaign finance statement for Camarillo Mayor Mike Morgan, the fourth candidate in the race, was not available Monday. Morgan, who could not be reached for comment, did not file a statement at the end of the last reporting period on July 31.

Kildee’s district includes Camarillo, Fillmore, Santa Paula and the Ojai Valley.

Meanwhile, in her reelection bid, Lacey has raised $28,339 so far this year and had $28,633 on hand at the end of September. Seeking her fifth term, Lacey represents a district that includes Ventura and Ojai areas.

Challenger Jim Monahan, a Ventura city councilman, had raised $17,157 through Sept. 30 for his bid against Lacey. He had $1,620 in cash as of Sept. 30.

Monahan said he expects it will be easier to raise money after City Council elections in November.

“It looks very promising,� Monahan said Monday. “I have been getting a little money every day and people are focusing on the November election but tell me that they’re for me 100%.�

Flynn, who is seeking his sixth term in a district that includes Oxnard and surrounding areas, has raised $15,650 so far this year. He had $17,692 in cash as of Sept. 30.

Arlene Fraser, the only challenger to file a campaign statement, has raised $3,538 and had $2,099 in cash on hand for the same reporting period.

In other campaigns, Republican Ross Hopkins, a Canoga Park government affairs consultant, holds the fund-raising lead in the race for an open seat in the 38th Assembly District, which includes portions of eastern Ventura County. Hopkins has raised $76,644, and had $59,732 in the bank at the end of September.

Rival Republican candidate Bob Larkin, a Simi Valley insurance agency owner, has raised $46,624 so far and had $20,853 on hand at the end of the reporting period.

And Republican Steve Frank, a Simi Valley resident government affairs consultant, has raised $20,792 in his bid for the same Assembly seat.

Campaign reports for other candidates in the Assembly race were not available. They include Republicans Peggy Freeman, a former community clinic director; Robert Hamlin, a retired sheriff’s deputy; Scott Wilk, Assemblywoman Paula Boland’s chief of staff, and Sanford Winger, a retired aerospace worker. Reports also were not available for Democrats David Ross, a computer software engineer, Jon Lauritzen, a high school math teacher and John Birke, an attorney.

The 38th Assembly seat is now held by Boland (R-Granada Hills), who is stepping down next year because of term limits. The district covers eastern Ventura County and parts of the San Fernando Valley.

In other county legislative races, incumbents are running unopposed. State Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley), whose district stretches from Simi Valley to Oxnard, had $33,461 on hand at the end of September, according to campaign statements.

Assemblyman Brooks Firestone, a Santa Ynez Republican who represents the western portion of Ventura County, had a cash balance of $19,630 at the end of the reporting period.

Campaign statements were not available for Assemblyman Nao Takasugi (R-Oxnard), whose district stretches from Oxnard to Moorpark.