HESPERIA • Win or lose on Tuesday, candidate Mark Kirk may make city history with the most expensive local campaign yet.

Days before the election, Kirk has raised $10,000 more than the city’s all-time campaign spending record — $151,616 — set by Councilman Ed Pack in 2006.

Kirk has also raised about $100,000 more on his Hesperia City Council campaign than all of his opponents.

As of Thursday, Kirk has raised $161,742 this year, $21,500 of which was contributed in the previous 11 days. As of Oct. 18, he had spent $131,269.

Kirk’s biggest donations include $10,000 from Kendrew Development Co. and $7,500 from Jeffrey S. Burum Enterprises, both located in Rancho Cucamonga.

This year’s highest-spending candidate has racked up $59,525 in loan indebtedness. Kirk, who works as chief of staff for San Bernardino County 4th District Supervisor Gary Ovitt, received $25,000 in loans from the Committee to Elect Gary Ovitt and a $5,000 loan from Roman G. Nava, Ovitt’s district director and Kirk’s coworker.

The next highest spender is candidate Russ Blewett, who raised $62,170 as of Oct. 24 and spent $60,388 as of Oct. 18.

Blewett’s major contributions include a $7,500 donation from the Inland Empire Political Action Committee, $5,000 in donations from Oak Valley Management and the Picerne Group, and a $2,500 donation from the Committee to Elect Brad Mitzelfelt.

The only incumbent in the race, Mayor Mike Leonard, raised $11,188 but had spent only $2,181 as of Oct. 18.

The San Bernardino County Public Employees Association donated to Leonard $2,500 in the latest reporting period, while Leonard also has received $2,000 in donations from the Lewis Investment Group and the San Bernardino County Firefighters Local 935 Political Action Committee.

Candidate Paul Bosacki has raised $6,568 and spent $1,859 by Oct. 18.

Councilwoman Rita Vogler’s husband, Al Vogler, has contributed nearly $25,000 to support the candidates he endorses and to form a political action committee opposing the candidacies of Kirk, Blewett and Hesperia Unified School District board candidate Anthony Riley.

Al Vogler donated $2,500 to Bosacki and $1,750 to Leonard, and loaned himself $20,500 to fund the Hesperia Free Press, the PAC that he created.

Candidates Scott Bennett, Rochelle Garner and Dennis Arquette all have raised and spent no more than $1,000 on their campaigns.

Natasha Lindstrom may be reached at 951-6232 or nlindstrom@vvdailypress.com.

As the competitors seeking the two open seats on the Hesperia City Council round the final turn in the race, candidate Mark Kirk remains way, way out in front of the rest of the pack when it comes to fund-raising, and is on track to claim the all-time record by November 4.

California election law requires any candidate who has raised or spent more than $1,000 must file California Form 460, the Recipient Committee Campaign Statement. Forms due Thursday, October 23, covered the period between October 1 and October 18.

Kirk raised $65,414 this reporting period, bringing his overall contributions to $140,242 this year. During the same period, Kirk spent $34,330, for a total of $131,269 this year. With two and a half weeks between the end of the reporting period and Election Day, he's only $20,347 behind the $151,616 spending record set by Councilman Ed Pack in 2006.

Kirk's major donors include $5,000 donations from Frontier Commercial LLC, Oak Valley Management, High Desert Leadership Committee, Jeffrey S. Burum Enterprises and the SB County Safety Employees' Benefit Association, $2,500 donations from the Lewis Investment Group and SB Public Employees Association PAC, $2,000 donations from Majestic Land LLC, Majestic Realty and Veritas Health Services (Chino Valley Medical Center) and $1,000 donations from Hagman for Assembly and Inland Group.

Kirk also received a $20,000 loan from the Committee to Elect Gary Ovitt (the committee had previously leant Kirk's campaign $5,000) and a $5,000 loan from Roman G. Nava, Ovitt's district director and Kirk's coworker. (Kirk is Ovitt's chief of staff.)

Russ Blewett raised $10,570 between October 1 and October 18 and spent $26,610. This year, he has raised a total of $61,170 and spent $60,388. His biggest donations during the most recent period included $7,500 from Inland Empire PAC, $1,200 from Spring Hill Suites by Marriott and $1,000 from Vanguard Builders.

Paul Bosacki raised only an additional $600 during the latest reporting period, bringing his year to date total to $6,568.

Mayor Mike Leonard raised $4,847 during the reporting period, bringing his total to $11,188. His two biggest donations were a $2,500 donation from the San Bernardino County Public Employees Association and a $2,000 donation from the Lewis Investment Group. But Leonard only spent $250 of his funds in the same period, bringing his total to date to $2,181.

City council candidates Dennis Arquette, Scott Bennett and Rochelle Garner have all raised and spent $1,000 or less for their campaigns, and were not required to file 460 forms.

Al Vogler, the husband of Councilwoman Rita Vogler, has his own political action committee this election season, Hesperia Free Press. The committee raised an additional $4,800 during the reporting period -- a loan from Vogler himself -- bringing his total loans received this year to $14,300. He spent $10,426 during the period, on three mailings sent to potential voters.

(Financial disclosure forms for the Hesperia Unified School District school board race were not available by press time Friday. A story covering those forms will appear on HesperiaStar.com during the week of October 27 and in the November 4 edition of the Hesperia Star.)

Campaign contributions received between October 19 and November 3 must be reported in special Form 497 filings within 24 hours of receipt.

On Wednesday, October 22, Kirk received a $5,000 contribution from the Kendrew Development Company. Kirk will need to raise still more money, however, win or lose: As of October 18, his campaign is $59,525 in debt.

Campaign disclosure forms covering the period between October 19 and December 31 are due on February 2, 2009.

Beau Yarbrough can be reached at 956-7108 or at beau@hesperiastar.com.