Veteran legislator Dan Lungren faces a stiff money challenge from a pair of Democrats.

U.S. Rep. Lungren, R-Gold River, trails Elk Grove's Dr. Ami Bera in campaign cash on hand after Bera posted a strong recent quarterly receipt of donations for the 2010 elections.

Carmichael Democrat Bill Slaton also shows a strong campaign coffer.

Bera is a former chief medical officer for Sacramento County. Slaton is current vice president of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District governing board.

Between July 1 and Sept. 30, Bera received $336,443 and reports $585,788 cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission records.

In the same period, Lungren received $192,743 and reports $443,719 cash on hand.

And Slaton, in the same period, added $253,418 and reports $398,506 cash on hand.

Bera's platform planks included education reform, health care reform and job creation, he said.

"I'm a 'values-oriented' Democrat," Bera said. "This country gives the opportunity to create a better life, as the reward of hard work. (The current decline in California) began when we moved away from the values of community, neighbors and multi-generation families. We've moved in the last 30 years to a sense of individualism rather than community - a Wall Street mentality of 'Get mine, get mine now.'"

Moving California education up from its current place near the bottom of the 50-state ladder in quality and achievement is a goal that voters are responding to, Bera said.

Slaton has been part of SMUD's push toward alternative energy sources.

"The bottom line - people need jobs," Slaton said. "The old Washington ways of thinking will not create new jobs for the future. If we want to change Washington, we need to change the people we send there - to get our economy back on track. With our fund-raising success, we will continue to build a grassroots campaign to do just that."

Andy Stone, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said the group has made California's Third Congressional District a target of increased political activity for the 2010 election.

"The fact that you've got two Democrats running, both doing well financially, points to enthusiasm and a different energy in the district," Stone said.

Lungren spokesman Brian Kaveney acknowledged that Bera and Slaton are "doing a nice job of raising money." But, he added, "they have a primary to face."

No Republican has filed to oppose Lungren, Kaveney said.