Track the money that fueled the California primary for governor
A small field of contenders hoping to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown in November has raised more than $90 million. Here’s what we know.
Who's raised the most?
Gavin Newsom, whose donors range from Silicon Valley to Hollywood, has maintained a lead throughout the campaign. Large checks written to outside groups have pushed Antonio Villaraigosa to a close second. John Cox, who has done well in recent polls, has given almost $5 million to his own campaign.
| Total raised (in millions) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
Gavin Newsom (D) Lieutenant governor |
$35.9 | |
| 2. |
Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Former mayor of Los Angeles |
34.5 | |
| 3. |
John Chiang (D) State treasurer |
13.9 | |
| 4. |
John Cox (R) Businessman and venture capitalist |
6.6 | |
| 5. |
Travis Allen (R) Assemblyman from Huntington Beach |
1.5 | |
| 6. |
Delaine Eastin (D) Former state superintendent of public instruction |
1.0 | |
| 7. |
Amanda Renteria (D) Political aide |
0.1 | |
The money race has tightened
Newsom's early lead was sliced thanks to large infusions into his competitors' campaigns. Since April, six wealthy donors have steered more than $20 million into a committee supporting Villaraigosa. Chiang recently transferred more than $3 million banked from a past campaign.
Note: Contributions from small donors, whom committees do not have to identify, are included as lump sums on the day totals were reported. A small number of contributions without a date disclosed have been excluded.
Outside spending shatters records
Groups unaffiliated with the candidates have spent nearly $32 million, by far the most ever before a California gubernatorial primary. Most of it has gone to radio, television and mail advertisements hoping to influence the outcome of the election. Find out who is funding the groups, and the candidates they are helping or hurting.
| Total spent (in millions) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. |
Familes & Teachers For Villaraigosa Sponsored by advocates of charter schools in public education and funded by some of the biggest donors in the race Promoting Villaraigosa and Allen. Opposing Newsom and Cox. |
$22.7 |
| 2. |
Citizens Supporting Newsom Funded by unions, primarily the Service Employees International Union, and health insurance provider Blue Shield Promoting Newsom |
5.6 |
| 3. |
Health Care Providers For Fiscal Accountability Blue Shield and statewide health groups have spent on mailers alleging Chiang made "billion-dollar blunders" as treasurer Opposing Chiang |
2.0 |
| 4. |
Education Organizations For Newsom The primary vehicle for the powerful California Teachers Assn. to support Newsom Promoting Newsom |
1.4 |
| 5. |
Nurses For Newsom Supported by the California Nurses Assn., which endorsed Newsom for his healthcare policies Promoting Newsom |
0.7 |
| 6. |
African American Voter Registration Education and Participation Project Group founded by L.A. County Supervisor Mark-Ridley Thomas to promote black political power Promoting Newsom |
0.6 |
| 7. |
Californians For Fiscal And Economic Leadership Only outside group supporting Chiang. Funded by unions representing Southern California nurses and healthcare professionals. Promoting Chiang |
0.4 |
| 8. |
Public Safety Officers For Villaraigosa Funded by Los Angeles police officers and a statewide law enforcement group Promoting Villaraigosa |
0.4 |
| 9. |
Asian American Small Business PAC Spends to promote Asian American candidates across the state Opposing Newsom |
0.2 |
A north-south divide
Almost half of Newsom’s money has come from the Bay Area, including $6.8 million from San Francisco, where he served as mayor. Chiang, a Torrance native, lost his early lead in Los Angeles County after Villaraigosa pulled in donations from prominent Angelenos. Villaraigosa has also made inroads in the Central Valley.
The spheres of influence
Business interests and Hollywood are the biggest backers of candidates in this race. Here’s how much some noteworthy sectors have spent so far.
Note: The Times categorized contributions based on staff research. Individual donors were classified by their employer and occupation. Organizations that made donations were categorized by their primary business.
Who’s writing the checks?
Here are some of the top donors to each campaign.
Gavin Newsom
Newsom’s donor list includes famous names from across the state. He also has the most money from small donors, whose identities are not disclosed.
California Teachers Assn.
Powerful force in California politics that advocates for teachers in public schools and colleges
$1,116,184
Blue Shield of California
San Francisco-based health insurer. Has also backed anti-Chiang outside group.
$996,440
Stewart and Lynda Resnick
Billionaire couple behind Fiji Water and POM Wonderful juice. Have given to both Newsom and Villaraigosa.
$116,800
Marissa Mayer and Zachary Bogue
Former CEO of Yahoo and her husband, a Silicon Valley investor
$108,800
Andrew Hauptman
Chairman of private investment firm Andell Inc.
$58,400
George Soros
Chairman of an investment management firm and philanthropist. Leading benefactor of Democratic candidates.
$57,400
Peter Thiel
Venture capitalist and PayPal co-founder who supported Republican Donald Trump in 2016 presidential election
$56,400
Bill Maher
Entertainer and host of HBO's "Real Time," who has encouraged Newsom to run for president in 2020
$38,200
Laurene Powell Jobs
Widow of Steve Jobs and founder of Emerson Collective, an organization supporting education, immigration reform and social justice
$28,200
Marshawn Lynch
NFL running back, currently with the Oakland Raiders
$1,000
Antonio Villaraigosa
Villaraigosa initially relied on donations from those who supported his mayoral campaigns. A newly formed committee unaffiliated with his campaign has nearly doubled the dollars supporting his candidacy.
Reed Hastings
Netflix CEO and supporter of charter schools in Los Angeles
$7,056,400
Bill Oberndorf
Hedge fund manager, private education advocate and Republican donor
$3,750,000
Eli and Edythe L. Broad
Philanthropists in the arts and education
$3,741,800
Michael R. Bloomberg
Former New York City mayor
$3,500,000
Richard Riordan
Former L.A. mayor, who has given to both Chiang and Villaraigosa
$1,029,100
Alice L. Walton
Walmart heiress, museum founder, horse breeder, richest woman in the world
$875,000
Los Angeles Police Protective League
Union representing Los Angeles Police Department rank-and-file officers
$250,000
Tutor Perini Corp.
National general contractor working on the long-delayed California high-speed rail project
$162,600
Marc and Jane Nathanson
Chairman of private venture capital firm Mapleton Investments, and his wife, a psychotherapist
$161,400
Stewart and Lynda Resnick
Billionaire couple behind Fiji Water and POM Wonderful juice. Have given to both Newsom and Villaraigosa.
$116,800
Peter and Megan Chernin
Studio and media executive, and his wife, an education philanthropist
$116,800
Ryan Seacrest
Radio and television personality
$56,400
Anschutz Entertainment Group
A worldwide presenter of live music, entertainment and sporting events run by Philip Anschutz, a prominent Republican donor and L.A. developer
$56,400
Meg Whitman
Business executive and 2010 Republican nominee for California governor. Has endorsed Villaraigosa.
$8,788
John Chiang
Asian Americans have contributed in large quantities to Chiang, who is seeking to become California’s first Asian American governor. Despite having less of his total from the wealthy and small donors, he has still amassed a significant war chest.
United Nurses Assn.
Represents registered nurses and other healthcare professionals
$408,400
C.C. and Regina Yin
Owners of several dozen McDonald’s restaurants
$116,800
Jackson and Julie Yang
Owners of Seville Classics, a manufacturer and distributor of organizational and storage products
$116,800
Alice and JP Wang
President and CEO of Golden Star Technology
$114,800
Eric and Susan Smidt
Chairman and CEO of Harbor Freight Tools, and his wife
$67,200
Wai-Yan Sandy Chau
CEO of venture capital firm Acorn Campus Ventures
$59,400
Christopher Pak
President and CEO of architectural firm Archeon International Group
$58,386
Wilson Wang
Real estate broker with Atlas Hospitality Group
$54,400
Henry Chen
President of Regal Wheel Corp., a distributor of automotive supplies
$50,000
Richard Riordan
Former L.A. mayor, who has given to both Chiang and Villaraigosa
$14,100
Sources: California secretary of state, California Civic Data Coalition, Mapzen, Times analysis
About the data: Totals on this page include all contributions made to the candidates’ gubernatorial committees and other groups working on a candidate’s behalf. The records are drawn from two sources: first, periodic disclosure reports filed with the California secretary of state, which cover donations through May 24, 2018; second, reports of donations greater than $5,000 since then, which must be disclosed soon after they are received. This page was originally published May 1, 2017.
Credits: Photo editing by Andrea Roberson, development by Ben Welsh and Andrew Briz, classification algorithm by Anthony Pesce