Fiorina Adds $1 Million For Final Push In Senate Race
SACRAMENTO (AP) -- Republican challenger Carly Fiorina added $1 million from her personal fortune to her campaign to unseat Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, pouring in money for the final days of a tightening race.
The loan, made Thursday, brings Fiorina's total contributions this year to $6.5 million.
The former Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO is making a commitment to win, said Fiorina campaign spokeswoman Julie Soderlund.
"Barbara Boxer has hit her ceiling with voters," Soderlund said. "She's not moving in the polls, and voters are getting to know Carly in the final weeks and moving to support her."
Boxer campaign manager Rose Kapolczynski said Fiorina is using the golden parachute she received when she was ousted from HP "to try to buy a seat in the Senate." Overall, Boxer has raised $26.4 million compared to $17.9 million for Fiorina.
A survey released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California found that Boxer continues to hold a slight advantage with likely voters over Fiorina, 43 percent to 38 percent. But it's an edge that has diminished since September, when Boxer had a 7-point edge.
Fiorina's loan comes as President Barack Obama campaigns in California for the three-term Democratic incumbent.
On Friday, Boxer appeared alongside the president at the University of Southern California at a rally featuring Los Angeles band Ozomatli and Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx. Obama attended a fundraiser for her and earlier this week taped a radio ad paid by Boxer's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
The committee's investment in California is further proof that the race has become close. Few would have predicted when the year began that national Democrats would have to put money into California to keep the seat in Democratic hands.
A spokesman for the committee declined to provide any specifics on spending in California.
National Republicans have not been so reticent in talking about their plans for the Senate race. They've promised to spend nearly $4.8 million in California in coordination with the Fiorina campaign. Fiorina's efforts are also being helped by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has spent more than $4.5 million on television ads critical of Boxer.
Fiorina stopped in Stockton to greet campaign volunteers Friday. She promoted her economic growth plan, which relies on business tax cuts and federal spending reductions. Fiorina blamed Boxer for the lack of improvement in the state's unemployment rate.
New figures showed the rate unchanged from August at 12.4 percent, the third highest in the nation.
According to quarterly campaign reports filed Oct. 15, Boxer had about $6.5 million cash on hand compared to $1.8 million for Fiorina, who is receiving significant help from independent groups.
Since then, there has been a flurry of spending. Campaign finance reports based on the first two weeks of October show Boxer spent $5.3 million, leaving her with $2.3 million cash on hand.
Fiorina spent $2 million during the same period, leaving her with $1.3 million. Adding Fiorina's latest loan, she should now have roughly the same amount as Boxer.
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