House Funds Give Dornan Critical Boost

House Republicans in one quick stroke resurrected former Rep. Robert K. Dornan’s political future this week by voting to repay him $320,526 for costs in challenging his 1996 election defeat.

“By giving me that money, I have a chance to take back my seat,� Dornan said Thursday upon returning to Orange County from Washington.

The money comes at a critical time--90 days before the Nov. 6 general election, when Dornan again will face Democrat Loretta Sanchez, who beat him two years ago by 984 votes. As of June 30, his chances were iffy, hobbled by a drained bank account that had only $4,500. Sanchez had $1.1 million in cash.

Without the money, Dornan was pinning his hopes on a series of fund-raisers here and in Washington with key House Republican leaders, as well as his national direct-mail fund-raising operation. His goal for the rest of the campaign was to raise about $800,000 by mail--of which he’d net only $300,000 after expenses, he said.

In one day, he made up for all that and more. And the irony is that Sanchez cannot use her $252,536 in reimbursement money for her campaign because it came from a restricted legal defense fund.

Dornan said he has no illusions about the turnabout by his former House colleagues, whom he criticized for shunning him during the primary. House GOP leadership finally realized that they need his seat back if they hope to hold control of Congress, in which they hold a razor-thin 10-seat majority, he said.

“What’s at stake in the election is the speakership, the majority, the entire power structure,� Dornan said. “I’m no longer Bob Dornan. I’m No. 11.�

Sanchez spokesman Lee Godown said she too has no illusions about what Dornan will do with the money. With districtwide mailers costing about $40,000 each, Dornan will have enough money for another eight mail pieces attacking Sanchez and her record.

“Dornan’s [approval ratings] are very low and the only way he can get his numbers up is to go negative,� Godown said. “He already said that he took it too easy on her last time. We fully anticipate that he’ll put out negative radio, television and mail attacking the congresswoman.�

California Republican Party Chairman Michael Schroeder said Dornan should have had the money six months ago, when he sent his bills to the House Oversight Committee. Both Dornan and Sanchez sent about $500,000 each in attorney bills, but the committee voted to fund only a portion of each. In Sanchez’s case, she received less because the House refused to pay expenses related to her court action challenging the constitutionality of House subpoenas.

The infusion of cash raised Dornan’s political viability exponentially, Schroeder said. Those considering giving Dornan money will be more inclined to contribute knowing he has a chance in a race where $250,000 is considered the minimum needed for a serious campaign, he said.

A poll last month by Chapman University showed Sanchez soundly ahead of Dornan among registered voters in the district. She led Dornan by 45% to 24%, with 26% undecided and the rest choosing other candidates. Both sides discounted the poll as too early to predict the winner.

If the past is any indication, Central County voters are in for a bumpy campaign. Two years ago, Dornan sent mail accusing Sanchez of advocating homosexuality--complete with a photo of two gay men holding hands--and of favoring unrestricted abortions. Sanchez sent mail accusing Dornan of living in an opulent Virginia mansion--complete with a photo of an Austrian palace--and of writing only one bill in his 12 years in Congress.

Dornan said recently that he’ll focus his campaign this time on Sanchez’s voting record in Congress, including supporting tax increases and voting against a ban on a controversial late-term abortion procedure. He said he’ll accuse Sanchez of hijacking credit for obtaining funding for South Vietnamese commandos--an effort he initiated decades ago in Congress.

Sanchez is expected to highlight what she calls Dornan’s extremist voting record in Congress and his unsuccessful attempt to overturn the election by alleging a conspiracy among Latinos to register noncitizens to vote.

Latino congressional Democrats renewed their criticisms of Dornan during a news conference Thursday at the Capitol blasting House Republicans for repaying Dornan’s expenses. Doing so toppled an 18-year precedent of only reimbursing costs for election-challenge winners, said Rep. Esteban Edward Torres (D-Pico Rivera).

Torres said Dornan will use the money to continue a campaign that insults Latinos.

“His comportment as a political figure is abominable,� Torres said. “Having a shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe in your backyard doesn’t qualify you as a friend of Hispanics.�

Rep. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) said the decision was one in a string of GOP slaps at Latinos, including a pending bill to cut funding for bilingual education and a plan for the 2000 Census that leaders claim will undercount Latinos.

“We continue to be assaulted by the majority party of the House,� Menendez said.

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Elliott Zaret of States News Service in Washington contributed to this report.