Candidates for L.A. County offices begin filing campaign reports

Los Angeles County election officials began receiving campaign finance reports Friday for candidates seeking two open county supervisors’ seats and the county assessor and sheriff posts.

Candidates were supposed to file contribution and spending reports covering the second half of 2013, but not all arrived in time for election officials to make them available.

In the race for the Westside seat being vacated by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, former state legislator Sheila Kuehl said her campaign had raised close to $430,000 in cash and in-kind contributions, although her filing was not available Friday.

Her main opponent, former Santa Monica City Councilman Bobby Shriver, announced his candidacy this month and will not be required to file a fundraising disclosure until March. Shriver, a member of the Kennedy family, has said he may put some of his personal wealth into the contest.

In the race for a second open seat -- the one being vacated by Supervisor Gloria Molina -- former U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis raised more than $500,000 last year, according to a filing provided by her campaign, and had about $433,000 in cash on hand as of the end of December.

A challenger who announced his entry into the race last week, El Monte Councilman Juventino “J” Gomez, did not report raising any money last year.

The sheriff’s race became more heated this month after the favored incumbent, Sheriff Lee Baca, unexpectedly announced he would withdraw from the race and retire.

Baca’s former second-in-command, Paul Tanaka, announced Friday that he had raised $380,967 since he entered the race in August, although that filing was not immediately available to the public. Former sheriff’s jail Cmdr. Bob Olmsted has raised close to $250,000, according to his campaign, but his filing was also not available.

Two assistant sheriffs tapped by Baca – Jim Hellmold and Todd Rogers – and Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell, entered the race after Baca’s withdrawal and were not required to file disclosures.

In the assessor’s race, front-runner Jeffrey Prang, a West Hollywood city councilman who also works for the assessor, had raised about $125,000 in the second half of 2013, according to statements provided by his campaign.

Incumbent Assessor John Noguez has taken a leave while awaiting trial on political corruption charges to which he has pleaded not guilty. He has not announced whether he intends to seek reelection. The county has continued to pay Noguez his approximately $200,000 a year salary while he’s on leave.

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abby.sewell@latimes.com; robert.faturechi@latimes; catherine.saillant@latimes.com