Some candidates out-raising Newsom for 2010

While San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom may have gotten in front of the pack in announcing a first step toward running for California governor in 2010, he's to some extent far behind in raising cash for that venture.

Several other rumored and presumed candidates have been stockpiling campaign cash for several months, though the titles of their campaign accounts are just nebulous enough to allow them to change plans.

Three statewide office holders and Democrats: Attorney General Jerry Brown, Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi and Treasurer Bill Lockyer, all have accounts with the California Secretary of State's office under with their names and the year 2010.

All three would be up for re-election that year in their respective offices. And all three have been discussed as potential gubernatorial candidates.

Of the three, Lockyer's cash on hand is most impressive, with $9.7 million listed in that account as of mid-May.

That number largely stems from fund-raising Lockyer did in years past with an eye toward a possible try for governor that he ultimately passed on to run for state treasurer instead.

The account for Brown 2010 has been very active in recent weeks, with the former governor and former Mayor of Oakland collecting $344,100 since mid-June.

Garamendi, who unsuccessfully sought the governor's office in 1994, has about $150,000 in his 2010 account.

Newsom still has an active campaign account related to his runs for mayor, though the Secretary of State's office does not have information on its Web site about how much is still in that account. Newsom easily won re-election to that job last year.

Not all possible candidates have amassed large campaign war chests years before the election, but that's because in some cases they don't have to.

Former state Controller Steve Westly, a Democrat, is widely believed to be interested in the job, as is Republican Meg Whitman. Both have considerable personal fortunes earned as Silicon Valley CEOs that could be used in a long, expensive gubernatorial race.

State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, a Republican, is also personally wealthy. His 2010 election fund, which indicates he will run for another term as the state's insurance industry watchdog, had about $161,000 in it as of mid-May.

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