SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, Calif., Feb. 1, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Newly released fundraising reports confirmed today that 46th District Assembly Candidate Brian C. Johnson maintains a significant fundraising advantage over his opponents in the newly drawn district. Johnson had raised over $362,000 as of the December 31st reporting deadline while his next closest competitor trailed Johnson by over $200,000. His cash on hand is $304,609, double his closest competitor.
"I am deeply humbled and grateful for the support I have received for my plan to attract new jobs to the Valley, put Sacramento's fiscal house in order and ensure that every child has access to a quality education. By leveraging this momentum, we will be able to talk to more residents of the 46th Assembly District -- from the Hollywood Hills to North Hills, from Studio City to Panorama City – about how we can improve their quality of life and restore California's promise," said Johnson.
Johnson's campaign consultant, Harvey Englander, pointed out the number of individual donors supporting Johnson's campaign, "This support is coming from individual donors. It is not coming from PACs and Super PACs, and it's not coming from personal loans that will be taken back out as soon as reporting closes. It's coming from individual voters who want fresh leadership in Sacramento." Johnson's surpassed his nearest rival by well over 200 donors. Most importantly, a comparison of Brian Johnson's contributions with the other candidates contributions shows that he has raised the highest percentage of funds from individuals and not special interests and their lobbyists seeking favors from the candidates.
In an earlier statement, Englander put some perspective on Johnson's fundraising figures, "The financial support that Brian Johnson has generated exceeds virtually all non-incumbent Assembly candidates in the State of California, let alone any first-time candidate, at this point in any Valley Assembly race. This is truly a formidable amount for someone who hasn't run for office before or worked their entire career in politics."
Commenting on the newly released reports, Englander added, "This surpasses expectations. We knew several weeks ago that Brian would have a significant advantage, but having a $200,000 fundraising advantage with only 4 months left until the primary is a testament to Brian's message and the depth of his support."
The newly drawn 46th Assembly District includes the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Sherman Oaks, Toluca Lake, Studio City, Valley Village, Valley Glen, Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Panorama City, North Hills, Lake Balboa and the Hollywood Hills.
Brian C. Johnson is a Democrat, the former Executive Director of Teach For America in Los Angeles, and the current Executive Director of the Larchmont Charter Schools, a network of high-performing and racially and socio-economically diverse public schools in Los Angeles.
ABOUT BRIAN C. JOHNSON:
Brian has devoted his entire professional life to helping reform our schools and providing greater control of our schools to parents, teachers and principals. In Baton Rouge, Brian began his career as a first grade teacher with Teach For America. After receiving his MBA and law degree from Stanford, Brian became the Executive Director of the Los Angeles chapter of Teach For America, a non-profit national service organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in public schools.
During his time there, Brian increased revenues by $5 million annually and tripled the size of his team so that Teach For America could bring in over 700 of the nation's top college graduates to serve as public school teachers in Los Angeles. These teachers have made a dramatic impact on the lives of 50,000 students throughout our city, including an emphasis on teacher placement in the San Fernando Valley.
Brian currently serves as the Executive Director of the Larchmont Schools, a network of high-performing and racially and socio-economically diverse local public schools. In times of massive state budget cuts, Brian has worked with parents and teachers to build a new middle school, grow the schools by 300 students, and create new jobs as the school has grown.
In the midst of this growth, Brian has led the schools in the Larchmont Schools network to be named among the highest performing schools in Los Angeles by the state department of education. He credits this incredible growth and success during tough economic times to strong fiscal responsibility, a commitment to putting kids first, and actively working with teacher and parent input.