Andal watches pennies in run for U.S. House seat

Republican congressional candidate Dean AndalAs he starts up his run against Democratic U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney in what is expected to be one of the most-watched races in the country, Republican Dean Andal is maintaining a skeleton campaign operation with an eye toward conserving funds for the fall.

"What do you want a campaign manager to do?" said Andal adviser Richard Temple when asked why the campaign had not yet acquired a manager. "Running around and doing silly press releases and blast faxes doesn't win elections."

"This thing is not that complicated," Temple added. "It's raising money and talking to voters."

Andal, a businessman and former state Assemblyman, is gliding to the state's June 3 primary without a primary opponent and his campaign says it is stashing money away for what is expected to be a high-spending affair against a well-funded incumbent. Newly-released fundraising reports show Andal has only spent about 16 percent of what he has raised.

National Republicans have eyed McNerney's Stockton-area seat as a top target this cycle, and there have been murmurs of concern in some GOP quarters over Andal's lack of campaign infrastructure and what some have described as disappointing fundraising. In the first quarter, McNerney outraised Andal, collecting $330,000 to Andal's $104,000, and reports show McNerney with $1,645,000 in cash on hand to Andal's $531,000.

But several independent Republican strategists said it was too soon to criticize the campaign and that, with his natural knack for politics and strong standing in a conservative-tilting district, Andal was in a potentially strong position to unseat McNerney in the fall.

Wayne Johnson, a prominent California Republican strategist, said Republicans nationwide were having fundraising difficulties and that Andal's $638,000 in total amount raised to date was relatively impressive for a challenger. "I think most Republicans are behind in fundraising," he said, adding, "It's traditional for incumbents to be ahead."

Johnson also said that Andal, through his two terms in the California State Assembly and two terms on the state Board of Equalization, had developed a loyal base in the district. "I know that for years Dean Andal has been working on the grassroots level," said Johnson, who worked as a consultant to Richard Pombo, the seven-term U.S. Rep. who McNerney unseated in 2006.

Mike Spence, the chair of the California Republican Assembly, an independent organization that advocates conservative policies, said that Andal's strong political skills made him a worthy challenger. He pointed to Andal's 1991 victory over Democrat Patti Garamendi, wife of sitting Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, in the race for the Stockton-area Assembly seat. The campaign took place several years after a school shooting at Stockton's Cleveland Elementary School, and Andal succeeded in currying favor with conservatives for his unyielding support of second amendment rights. "Dean is an amazing campaigner," said Spence. "He knows how to do retail politics." Spence also predicted that moderates in the district would find the more conservative Andal appealing.

In McNerney, Andal's campaign is facing off against a first term incumbent who is taking his reelection seriously. He spends several hours a week making fundraising calls, and it has paid off - his $1,645,000 cash in the bank total has impressed area Republicans. McNerney has also been working to keep in close contact with residents of the district, holding over 30 of what his office calls district "Advisory Events." McNerney, a former scientist who specialized in wind energy, has also won attention for his focus on energy in Congress.

But the Andal campaign has several advantages in its race against McNerney that Pombo did not have in 2006 – the first of which being that Andal is not Pombo. During his seven-term tenture Pombo faced numerous allegations of corruption and had what was widely seen as a difficult relationship with his district. "The whole issue was Pombo. McNerney did not win the District, Pombo lost it," said Tony Quinn, who tracks races for the California Target Book. Without the motivation of voting against Pombo, Quinn said, voters will have to decide for the first time if they really want to support McNerney.

What also goes to the Andal campaign's benefit is the voter registration in the district, which leans Republican. George W. Bush carried the district with 53 percent and 54 percent of the vote in 2000 and 2004. William Pound Baker, a former U.S. Congressman who is actively working as a surrogate for Andal, said that Andal's views on issues ranging from spending and taxes were more in line with the district than McNerney's. Baker also suggested that McNerney's votes would come under scrutiny in the campaign."He's a good contrast to the existing Congressman," said Baker.

Andy Stone, a McNerney spokesman, disputed the characterization, saying that the Congressman was "in tune with the district," and that McNerney maintained enthusiastic support from voters across the spectrum.

Democrats have plans to label Andal as out of touch. Last week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched a Web site called, "Radical Andal," which takes Andal to task for what it says is Andal's extreme conservative votes in the state Assembly, like his 1994 vote against a bill that would prevent employers from requiring women to wear dresses to work.

In recent weeks Andal has been focusing on holding low-cost campaign events, such as precinct walks, in locations outside of his Stockton base like Contra Costa. Baker said that Andal had already secured his support in Stockton and that the campaign believed it was important to expand its reach into the East Bay, which accounts for 40 percent of the votes in the district. Andal is also holding fundraising events, with House Minority Leader John Boehner hosting a February event that was attended by 300 people.

Kevin Spillane, a Republican consultant in California, said it was early and the Andal campaign would develop over time.

"I think it's still in the building process and it's too early to count them out," he said.