Rich donors open wallets for Newsom recall battle

SACRAMENTO — A few weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a campaign to keep himself in office, his recall defense team says it has raised $3.1 million — nearly half of it from a dozen wealthy individuals and groups that have written the governor checks for $5,000 or more.

Unlike in a traditional campaign, the governor can raise unlimited funds to fight a recall. Donors are not limited to the normal $32,400 maximum.

Newsom is taking advantage of the exception. His top givers include the California Democratic Party, the couple who own Fiji Water, and a tech executive who ran in the 2003 recall of Gov. Gray Davis as a parody candidate with the Butt Monkey Beer Party — all of whom have donated at least $100,000.

Newsom’s advisers point to the fact that overall, his committee had received more than 100,000 contributions as of April 1. Of the $3.1 million it raised, the average contribution was $32.

“Democrats are energized to defeat the partisan Republican power grab, and it shows in these numbers,” Nathan Click, a spokesperson for Newsom, said in an email. “Stop the Repub

lican Recall (the governor’s campaign) has averaged 5,388 online donations per day from Californians.”

Organizers of the recall say they aren’t surprised that Democratic groups and wealthy donors are writing five and sixfigure checks to help Newsom.

“He’s going to leverage every millionaire and billionaire he’s ever met in his entire life to save his political career,” said Randy Economy, a spokesperson for the recall. “All he knows is to go ahead and use special interests to fund his campaigns.”

The prorecall campaign is hardly hurting financially. Two committees supporting the recall say they have raised $4.3 million combined, largely over the last five months. The recall has also received cash infusions from megadonors, with more than half its money coming from contributors who gave $5,000 or more.

Money is pouring in for both sides as the recall is on the verge of qualifying for the ballot. Elections officials have until late April to determine if organizers submitted enough valid signatures, though both sides expect the recall to qualify.

Newsom didn’t launch his campaign until March 15, after months of largely staying silent about the recall. Here are the five largest sources bankrolling his effort:

California Democratic Party

Amount: $612,555, much of it in the form of inkind services such as digital support and contactlist building.

What we know: Newsom must keep his Democratic base unified to survive a recall, and it’s clear the state party has his back. On the day Newsom launched his campaign, the party came up with a $350,000 infusion, including $250,000 cash and $100,000 of inkind support. “The Republican National Committee, wealthy (Donald) Trump donors and rightwing extremists have joined forces to disrupt California’s road to recovery,” party chair Rusty Hicks said at the time.

Lynda and Stewart Resnick

Amount: $250,000

What we know: The couple live in Los Angeles and own an agricultural and bottled water empire. Their holding firm, The Wonderful Co., includes brands such as Wonderful Pistachios, Fiji Water, the online flower delivery site Teleflora and Pom Wonderful, a pomegranate juice. They own large swaths of farmland where they also grow almonds and citrus fruits.

Their net worth is estimated at $7.1 billion, according to Forbes. The Resnicks have long been prolific Democratic contributors and have given more than $4 million in state and federal races. Lynda Resnick has also contributed $32,400 to Newsom’s 2022 campaign committee. The Resnicks did not respond to a request for comment.

Professional Engineers in California Government

Amount: $250,000

What we know: The union represents 13,000 engineers and other related professionals employed by the state. Its members are responsible for designing and inspecting state infrastructure and technology. While the union is one of the smaller ones representing state employees, its large check in support of Newsom is likely a harbinger of more labor money to come. The union did not respond to a request for comment.

Kelly and Carla Kimball

Amount: $100,000

What we know: Kelly Kimball is no stranger to recall theatrics. In 2003, he and a business partner ran for governor — as parody candidates on the Butt Monkey Beer Party platform — to protest the recall of thenGov. Davis. Kimball finished in 105th place, with 582 votes.

He is now the founder and chair of Vitu, a tech company that provides software for vehicle registration and title services. The company works with the state Department of Motor Vehicles to provide a host of digital services such as online registration renewals. He and his wife live in Malibu and have contributed more than $500,000 to Democratic and Republican candidates and committees in California over the past decade. Kelly Kimball did not respond to requests for comment.

LGBT Caucus Leadership Fund

Amount: $25,000

What we know: The fund is run by state legislators who have publicly defended Newsom in recent weeks as a longtime LGBTQ ally, dating to his groundbreaking decision nearly 20 years ago as San Francisco mayor to grant marriage licenses to samesex couples. “He stood with us and now we stand with him,” said state Sen. John Laird, DSanta Cruz. “No other candidate for governor could possibly compare to him on civil rights.”