Huffman Campaign Backed by Cash Stash

If campaign fundraising is any factor in determining who will represent Marin County in the U.S. House of Representatives, Jared Huffman is a step closer to raising his hand and taking the oath of office in Washington, D.C.

The Democrat from San Rafael is leaving his Republican opponent, Dan Roberts of Tiburon, in his rear-view mirror in the race for the California 2nd Congressional District seat, according to recently filed campaign finance documents.

According to a report in the Marin Independent Journal, Huffman raised $161,181 between July 1 and Sept. 30, and Roberts collected $20,595. Roberts, who has had a successful career in business, has been forced to fund his own campaign with loans to himself to the tune of $210,000.

Still, Huffman has about four times the money still left to spend — if he needs to.

Roberts has emphasized his private-sector business experience and bottom-up administrative philosophy. At a debate earlier this month at Dominican University in San Rafael, he said his priorities would be to curtail excess government spending, cut taxes and eliminate unnecessary regulations that restrict the ability to start new businesses.

Huffman, an environmental attorney and six-year assemblyman representing Marin and southern Sonoma counties, said his plan in Washington would be to overcome partisan gridlock, cut the military budget, protect Medicare and Social Security, build on affordable heath care, tackle the national debt and address global warming.

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, who has represented Marin and Sonoma counties in Washington for the past 19 years in the 6th District, announced in June 2011 that she would not be seeking re-election after her 10th term expired this fall. Huffman and Roberts emerged as the frontrunners in the newly redrawn 2nd District.

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