Track the money flowing into Placeholder ⌄

Updated April 3, 2023

By Gabrielle LaMarr LeMee, Sandhya Kambhampati and Iris Lee

Proposition 31 would ban the sale of certain flavored tobacco products in stores and vending machines. The ban was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020 and placed on hold after a referendum by the tobacco industry. It is being supported by Michael Bloomberg, teachers and health associations. Committees in the race have raised more than $71.4 million and largely spent it on petitions and campaign consultants.

Who has raised the most?

$48.2 million

contributed to committees that support Proposition 31

$23.2 million

contributed to committees that oppose Proposition 31

Who is supporting each side?

Proposition 31 is backed by billionaire former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg with $33.2 million, $1.1 million from Kaiser Foundation and $250,000 from the California Teachers Assn. Major tobacco companies have poured in millions to oppose the proposition, including the North Carolina-based R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. which gave more than $8.1 million and Philip Morris, which gave $8 million.

How is the money being spent?

$46.6 million

spent by committees that
support Proposition 31

$20.7 million

spent by committees that
oppose Proposition 31

Support Proposition 31

$46.6 million spent of $46.6 million candidate committee funds

Committee funds do not include nonmonetary contributions.

The campaign supporting the proposition has spent $2.4 million on campaign consultants, with the remaining money mostly being used for digital promotions and polling.

Oppose Proposition 31

$20.7 million spent of $20.7 million candidate committee funds

Committee funds do not include nonmonetary contributions.

The largest category of spending for the committee to oppose Proposition 31 was $13.7 million on petition circulating.

Funds raised for other ballot propositions

Proposition 1: Abortion protection

$16.2 million supporting

$340,000 opposing

Proposition 28: Increased arts funding for schools

$10.6 million supporting

$0 opposing

Proposition 30: Wealth tax for zero emission vehicles

$50.9 million supporting

$30.3 million opposing

About this story

The story was edited by Hanna Sender and Iris Lee. It was copy edited by Rubaina Azhar and Don Ragland. Mary Kate Metivier and Javier Panzar planned the promotion and engagement. Illustrations were created by Molly Magnell. Share image by Lorena Iñiguez Elebee.

Data on this page are from the California secretary of state. Raw data were processed using California Civic Data Coalition scripts. The records are drawn from two sources: first, periodic disclosure reports filed with the secretary of state covering donations and expenditures through Oct. 22; second, reports of donations and expenditures greater than $1,000 from independent committees since Oct. 22 that must be disclosed soon after they are received.

Financial support for a candidate can come in three forms. The first is through donations to a candidate controlled committee. The second type are primarily formed committees, which are established to support or oppose a candidate or proposition. They don't have contribution limits, and are not allowed to coordinate with candidates. Third, candidates can benefit from the spending of general committees that support or oppose multiple candidates or causes.

We are tracking contributions raised and spending by candidate controlled committees and primarily formed committees as well as spending in support or opposition of these candidates by general committees. Candidate controlled committee fundraising totals do not include transfers from previous candidate committees.