No money, tough odds don’t faze Demo challenger

Alex Coolman

Ted Crisell gets the nicest letters from members of the Democratic

Party.

After the 54-year-old candidate for the 45th Congressional District

won the primary election in March, Gov. Gray Davis sent him a personal

note.

“Put me down as a wholehearted supporter,” Davis wrote. “And feel free

to use my endorsement in any way that will be helpful.”

The only problem, Crisell says, is that nice words don’t pay the bills

of a congressional campaign. He must run an extremely economical campaign

-- using techniques like e-mail publicity -- because Democrats are

gun-shy about actually writing a check to fund a race for the 45th.

“When you have limited resources, you put those resources in targeted

areas where you have an opportunity to elect a Democrat,” explained

Jeanne Costales, chairwoman of the Orange County Democratic Party.

And Crisell’s quest may be such a long shot that he gets no money at

all from local Democrats, she said.

Labor unions, says Crisell, are taking the same approach: big smiles,

firm handshakes, no money.

But the funding practices of these organizations aren’t enough to

discourage the energetic candidate. The same slightly unconventional

spirit that drives him to run as a Democrat in the district dominated by

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) since 1988 persuades him that

the money, one way or another, will come together.

“I’m just going through friends and individuals” to raise funds,

Crisell said, speaking from his 17th Street campaign office. “It’s a very

grass-roots effort.”

Though registration in the 45th District is solidly Republican,

Crisell thinks there are segments of the constituency who can be won over

to his side. Moderate Republicans, he thinks, might prefer his politics

to those of Rohrabacher, along with women, environmentalists, and

segments of the Latino and Vietnamese populations.

Crisell ought to think again, Rohrabacher says.

“I think that the Republican elements of my district are strongly in

favor of me, the conservative Democrats are in favor of me, and the

majority of the Independents are in favor of me,” he said.

“Most of the other candidates who have run against me in the past have

had precisely the same policy positions as Ted, and by large majorities

they’ve always been defeated.”

Rohrabacher’s seat is considered safe by so many, the congressman

added, that he faces his own kinds of financial challenges.

“If it’s a safe district, they’re less likely to give you money,” he

said. “They feel like you’ve got a lock, so why donate to you?”

And that could be a key to a surprise success, Crisell says. He’s

betting that Republicans are overestimating the level of support for his

opponent, that the 45th has changed over the years in ways that will

favor a Democrat.

“He’s going. He’s going,” Crisell said. “It’s just a matter of time.”