Newsom leads rivals in race to raise cash
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom leads the 2018 fundraising race for governor, pulling in $5.4 million in the first six months of the year, according to campaign finance reports filed with the California secretary of state.
“Fundraising continues to be extremely strong,” Dan Newman, a spokesman for the campaign, said in a statement, noting that the former San Francisco mayor has received contributions from more than 81,000 donors. “Bottom line: It’s very early, but it’s going very well.”
Newsom, who announced he was running to replace termed-out Gov. Jerry Brown after being re-elected in 2014, has a little more than a com-
bined $16 million available from his campaign account and his lieutenant governor’s account. That’s substantially more than his main opponents, state Treasurer John Chiang, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former state Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin, all Democrats, and two Republicans: businessman John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach (Orange County).
That doesn’t mean the other campaigns are reduced to collecting aluminum cans and soda bottles. With the June 5 primary election still a long way away, at least three other candidates also have the resources to wage a serious campaign.
Chiang, for example, has raised $2.7 million this year, and has about $8.9 million in the bank, including cash left over from his 2014 race. Villaraigosa, who officially joined the race in November, has taken in $2.3 million since Jan. 1 and has about $4.5 million cash on hand, according to reports filed late Monday.
Cox, who calls himself the only non-politician in the race, reported raising more than $200,000 from about 1,500 individual donors in the past couple of months, but the bulk of his war chest comes from the $3 million he already has given to his own campaign. After expenses, Cox had $2.8 million in the bank on June 30, the last day of the finance period.
The fiscal reports are weaker for two other gubernatorial hopefuls. Eastin, a former East Bay legislator who has been out of elected office since 2003, has raised about $321,000 in 2017, but has only $107,000 in the bank. Allen’s numbers are even lower, with about $78,000 in contributions this year and $77,000 cash on hand.
While Allen has vowed to continue his run for governor, he also raised about $113,000 this year for a possible re-election campaign for his Assembly seat.
With a March 9, 2018, filing deadline, there’s plenty of time for additional candidates to jump into the race for governor and for the other statewide contests — or for those now in to drop out.
But the early money is important, since it can persuade other donors to join in, said Darry Sragow, a longtime Democratic strategist and publisher of the California Target Book, which focuses on state political races.
“Money doesn’t guarantee success, but having little or no money usually leads to a loss,” he said. “And if you’re not raising money early, it doesn’t look like you’re viable to potential donors, who won’t see a reason to give you money.”
In other races, Democratic Controller Betty Yee is facing no listed opposition for reelection. She has raised $383,000 this year and has $727,000 cash on hand to use against any challenger.
In the contest for insurance commissioner, state Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens (Los Angeles County) is the lone active candidate. He has taken in $362,000 this year and has $260,000 in his campaign account.
In the contest for attorney general, state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is challenging fellow Democrat and incumbent Xavier Becerra, who was appointed to the post in January after former Attorney General Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate.
Jones, who already was already geared up to run for the job in 2018, is continuing his campaign, despite the fact that the governor passed him over when appointing Becerra, who was a Southern California congressman. The insurance commissioner raised $580,000 this year and has $3.7 million available, including money left over from his 2014 re-election campaign.
Despite his late start, Becerra has collected $2.4 million in contributions this year and has $2 million in the bank.
The most crowded race is the contest to replace Newsom as lieutenant governor, where five Democrats and one Republican are raising campaign money.
San Francisco Democrat Eleni Kounalakis, former ambassador to Hungary, led all the candidates with $1.5 million in contributions since Jan. 1, leaving her with $1.3 million in the bank. State Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina (Los Angeles County), took in $1.1 million and has $1.5 million cash on hand. Jeff Bleich, former ambassador to Australia, collected $659,000 with $625,000 available. Asif Mahmood, a Pasadena-area physician, raised $1 million in contributions this year, with $846,000 left in the bank.
While state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, raised $1.3 million for the lieutenant governor’s race this year and has $2.8 million in his account, he has not yet said that he’s actively running for the office. State Sen. Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres (Stanislaus County) has collected only $37,750 so far this year and has about $218,000 in the bank, with another $570,000 available from his 2014 state Senate campaign.
A pair of Democrats potentially are facing off to replace Chiang as state treasurer.
Fiona Ma, a member of the state Board of Equalization and former San Francisco assemblywoman, has raised $1.1 million this year and has $1.4 million cash on hand. While Mike Gatto, a former Los Angeles assemblyman, has raised only $8,570 since January, he has $2.1 million, money left over from previous Assembly campaigns, available for the contest.
While the state superintendent of public instruction is legally a nonpartisan post, two Democrats are running to replace termed-out Tom Torlakson.
Marshall Tuck, who lost to Torlakson in 2014, has raised $1.2 million for another try and has $1 million in the bank. Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, D-Richmond, has collected $896,000 this year and has $860,000 cash on hand.