Al Checchi, a Democratic airline executive and political newcomer, was among the first to declare for the race. Gray Davis also declared around the same time. Congresswoman Jane Harman joined the contest in early April 1998. In early polling the three candidates were within 12 points of each other, with Davis in last. Harman spent $14.4 million in her race for governor. Checchi spent just under $39 million on his campaign. The airline executive's campaign included numerous ads, one of which included school children trying to pronounce his name and another with his wife speaking Spanish. Checchi did not identify himself as a Democrat in most of his early campaign
