State Dems hold big cash lead over GOP opponents

The money keeps pouring in for Democrats running statewide in California, while their GOP opponents will be facing the final weeks of the fall campaign with short — and in some cases minuscule — bankrolls.

In the race for governor, Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaign continues to be a cash machine, with $16.1 million in the bank as of Sept. 22, the cutoff date for the new report from the secretary of state’s office.

Newsom began his race for governor in 2015, just days after he was sworn in as lieutenant governor. Since then, he has raised more than $31 million.

The $8.6 million the former San Francisco mayor has collected since July 1 is more than the $8.4 million Republican John Cox has taken in during his entire campaign.

Cox, a San Diego-area businessman making his first try for office in California, had $1.6 million on hand last week. With a full statewide TV ad campaign costing $1.5 million or more a week, the GOP hopeful is likely to get battered by Newsom on the airwaves as election day draws closer.

Both campaigns are getting some outside help. “Restore Our Values,” an independent expenditure group for Cox, has spent more than $800,000 to attack Newsom and boost his GOP opponent.

The biggest donor to that committee is Beverly Hills Real Estate developer Geoff Palmer, who has put $500,000 into the effort.

On Newsom’s side, the prison guards union has spent $525,000 for a cable TV ad.

The four other Republican candidates on the June ballot are in even more desperate financial shape.

In the controller’s race, Democratic incumbent Betty Yee reported $1.4 million in the bank, compared with $93,633 for Republican Konstantinos Roditis.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, has $1.5 million on hand, compared with $15,138 for the GOP’s Steven Bailey, a retired Superior Court judge.

Democratic Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s financial report showed him with $496,640 available for the rest of the campaign, while Republican Mark Meuser has $11,562.

In the race for the open state treasurer’s job, Democrat Fiona Ma, a former San Francisco supervisor and assemblywoman, still has $1.2 million to spend, compared with $13,002 for Republican Greg Conlon of Atherton.