Byline: Edward Russo The Register-Guard

CORRECTION(Ran July 10, 2008):Front Page: Jim Torrey spent $648,726 in his 1996 campaign for state Senate against Sen. Vicki Walker. A Wednesday article on fundraising in the current Eugene mayor's race incorrectly said Torrey's campaign spending

The November election is nearly four months away, but campaign cash continues to pour into the record-setting Eugene mayor's race.

Former Mayor Jim Torrey, who is challenging incumbent Kitty Piercy, spent $259,689 for the May 20 primary election; Piercy spent $130,222.

Since the primary, Piercy and Torrey together have collected an additional $35,753, according to reports filed with the Oregon secretary of state.

Both campaigns are asking contributors to give in preparation for an expected hard-fought campaign in the fall, which will culminate in the Nov. 4 election.

"Campaigns like this mayoral race don't stop after the primary and, in this case, have not paused at all," Piercy said.

Torrey said his campaign is "actively soliciting funds."

"We are using or will use phone calls, mailing and (fundraising) events," he said.

Torrey's spending in the primaryelection easily broke the previous spending record for a mayor's race set four years ago by Piercy.

If Torrey and Piercy repeat their fundraising efforts in the fall, the combined campaigns would exceed $500,000 and may approach $750,000, a previously unimaginable sum for a city office race.

"We'll easily surpass $500,000" in combined campaign spending, said David Funk, an advertising executive and friend and adviser to Piercy. "I'll give credit to the Torrey campaign. They were extremely aggressive in raising money."

In the primary, Torrey spent heavily on a wave of TV ads to get his name and face in front of Eugene voters more than three years after he left office.

Torrey said he will need to at least match his springfundraising in order to be competitive with Piercy in the fall.

"General elections are usually more expensive than primary elections, so we expect to need as least as much in the general as we did in the primary," he said.

Torrey didn't dispute that the mayor's race could approach three-quarters of a million dollars.

Not long ago, it was inconceivable that rival donors would consider pumping that much into a race for mayor, a post that carries tie-breaking and agenda-setting power, but also often has mere figurehead value. Yet now, hundreds of backers of Torrey and Piercy are pouring money into the race.

Twelve years ago, Torrey spent about $70,000 to defeat Congressman Jim Weaver and seven other candidates for mayor.

It was the most that Torrey had ever spent on a campaign, until this year.

He said he never expected that running for Eugene mayor would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"I'm surprised that it's become so expensive," he said.

Funk said he doubts if Torrey and Piercy will together be able to raise $750,000, partly because the economy is weak and donors may be reluctant to give. Also, the campaigns spent money on research and other costs that will not be necessaryin the fall, he said.

However, political science instructor Steve Candee said he wouldn't be surprised if the campaigns total out near $750,000.

Candidates would prefer not to seek and spend vast sums of money, but they don't want to be outspent by their opponents, he said.

It's expensive to reach voters through print and broadcast advertising, "and you don't want to get caught flat footed," especially "if you think your opponent will be able to spend all this money," said Candee, who teaches at Lane Community College.

The previous combined fundraising record in a mayor's race was set four years ago when Piercy and City Councilor Nancy Nathanson spent a combined $235,322.

So far Torrey and Piercy have spent a combined $407,315.

Two other mayoral candidates - Nick Urhausen and Jim Ray - joined Torrey and Piercy on the May 20 ballot. Urhausen and Ray did not raise money. They collected just 3.8 percent of the vote between them. The top two vote-getters - Torrey and Piercy - each failed to get more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary and must compete in the Nov. 4 runoff election.

Piercy finished with 48.8 percent of the vote, 797 votes ahead of Torrey, who received 47.4 percent.

Piercy's contributors since the primary election include Eugene attorney and Eugene Weekly owner Art Johnson, who gave Piercy $5,000 on June 4, and state Rep. Phil Barnhart and his wife, Florence, who gave Piercy $2,000.

Before the primary, Torrey received a large chunk of his contributions from people involved in real estate investment and development businesses. That trend continues, with some of his recent contributors including Avon Lee Babb, president of Delta Sand & Gravel & Construction, who gave Torrey $2,000 on June 4. Three corporations controlled by Eugene businessman and landlord Dan Giustina gave Torrey a total of $3,500 on May 22.

Torrey's other recent contributors include Kay Toolson, chief executive of Monaco Coach Corp. in Coburg, who gave $5,000 on June 2.

For the primary, Torrey raised twice as much money as Piercy in about 2' months, a much shorter period of time than Piercy, who started collecting campaign contributions last fall.

Funk said Piercy supporters were "somewhat shocked" at how much money Torrey collected for the primary.

Many Piercy supporters were inspired to donate after reading about Torrey's fundraising lead, he said.

Some Piercy supporters took her re-election for granted, Funk said, assuming that Piercy would receive more than half the vote because of the heavy Democrat turnout in the presidential nominating contest between U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

In nonpartisan races such as for city mayor, candidates who get more than 50 percent of the vote advance alone on the ballot to the general election.

"A lot of people thought it was a foregone conclusion that Kitty would win, and that made it harder to raise funds," Funk said.

But with Piercy facing Torrey in a runoff, Funk said, her supporters want to raise as much money as possible.

Torrey made no apology for raising a lot of money.

Even though he raised more than Piercy, Torrey said, "we still haven't caught up to her" in votes.

"We had to spend every dime to get to that point" of forcing a runoff,he said. "It's very hard to compete against an incumbent. I think it will take (another $250,000) to stay in the game."

Eugene mayoral race

FUNDRAISING

Some of the largest, recent contributors to Mayor Kitty Piercy and to her challenger, former Mayor Jim Torrey:

Kitty Piercy

Art Johnson, Eugene attorney and owner of Eugene Weekly, $2,000. Total for election, $7,500.

Phil and Florence Barnhart, $1,000 apiece. Total for election, $2,700.

Tim Mueller, city resident, $2,000. Total for election, $2,950.

Pat Noyes, city resident, $1,000. Total for election, $2,100.

Jim Torrey

Kay Toolson, chief executive Monaco Coach Corp., $5,000. Total for election, $10,000.

Avon Lee Babb, president of Delta Sand & Gravel & Construction, $2,000. Total for election, $7,000.

Stingray Holdings, Eugene development company, $2,000. Total for election, $2,000.