SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline)-The Republican candidate for California attorney general issued an urgent plea for campaign cash Monday, calling on fellow conservatives to help him defeat the "left-wing extremist" Democrats will nominate.

State Assemblyman Tom Harman, R-Huntington Beach, said in an e-mail to campaign supporters that he would like to raise at least $50,000 more in Internet contributions this year.

"In order to win this election and defeat whichever left-wing extremist the majority establishment nominates, my campaign needs to raise over $50,000 in online contributions between now and the December 31st campaign finance reporting deadline," Harman said.

Harman, a former prosecutor, is vying to succeed Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown as the Golden State's chief legal officer next year.

"With your support, we will be successful next year in our effort to take back the office of the Attorney General and place it back into the hands of the people," Harman said. "For too long the office has been used as a political tool rather than to defend the will of the people and fight against corruption."

In an earlier interview with Legal Newsline, Harman decried lawsuits filed by Brown against California cities he felt were not doing enough for curb carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.

"He is a real activist attorney general," Harman said. "Everywhere you turn he is sticking his toe in the water here and there, and often times in places where he doesn't have good solid jurisdiction, just trying to grab headlines to ingratiate himself to the public in preparation for his run for governor."

Harman, the only Republican so far in the race for attorney general, could face one of six Democrats in the general election.

Democrats running for attorney general are: Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico of Newark, state Assemblymen Pedro Nava of Santa Barbara and Ted Lieu of Torrance, Chris Kelly, chief privacy officer for the Web site Facebook, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris and former Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo.

From Legal Newsline: Reach staff reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.