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FPPC JANUARY 1 - JUNE 30TH FUNDRAISING ROUNDUP / KEY RACE UPDATES
The Target Book has compiled a six‐month fundraising report for all state executive and key legislative races in California and it is available to subscribers online. Here are the results for all the statewide offices that will be on the ballot in 2018.
GOVERNOR (Open) Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom's fundraising continues to outpace his rivals, with a reported $5.38 million raised in the first half of the year and $16 million on hand when combined with his 2014 account. Treasurer John Chiang raised $2.6 million and had $9 million on hand between his gubernatorial and 2014 Treasurer accounts. Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa raised $2.3 million and had just under $4.5 million banked, while former Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin raised $321,235 and had $106,723 remaining. On the Republican side, San Diego Businessman John Cox reported $3.2 million raised, with $3 million of the total coming out of his own pocket. Assemblyman Travis Allen entered the race with a week remaining in the filing period and reported $78,403 raised and $77,248 on hand.
Gavin Newsom (D): $5,385,919 / $13,100,618 + $2,924,661 in '14 acct John Chiang (D): $2,662,089 / $5,739,252 + $3,223,951 in '14 acct Antonio Villaraigosa (D): $2,334,048 / $4,476,881 Delaine Eastin (D): $321,235 / $106,723 John Cox (R): $3,213,430 (includes $3 million from the candidate) / $2,825,928 Travis Allen (R): $78,403 / $77,248 LT. GOVERNOR (Open) The race for California's second-highest office is a four-way battle. Former Ambassador Eleni Kounalakis gave her campaign a $500,000 boost on the final day of the filing period, nudging her into a fundraising lead for the first half of the year. State Senator Ed Hernandez maintained a cash on hand edge, and physician Asif Mahmood and former Ambassador Jeff Bleich posted solid numbers, as well. Anthony Cannella, the sole Republican to raise funds for a Lt. Governor committee, was quoted as ruling out a run for future office earlier in the year after he cast the lone GOP vote in favor of the infrastructure bill that raised the gasoline tax.
Ed Hernandez (D): $1,184,124 / $1,572,118 Eleni Kounalakis (D): $1,517,303 (incl. $527,520 from the candidate) / $1,391,316 Asif Mahmood (D): $1,004,826 / $846,997 Jeff Bleich (D): $659,877 / $625,509
ATTORNEY GENERAL Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones began raising money to succeed Kamala Harris as Attorney General in October of 2015. His plans suffered a hit when Gov. Brown appointed Rep. Xavier Becerra to the position following Harris' 2016 Senate win. Jones raised $1,545,286 in the 635 days since collecting his first contribution, of which $580,121 was banked in the first half of this year. Becerra began raising money for his re-election almost immediately in February, racking up $2,402,419 within 148 days. While Jones maintains a cash on hand edge of $1.7 million when combined with his existing 2014 account, Becerra's fundraising pace is noteworthy. Neither of the two remaining Republicans are waging competitive campaigns.
Xavier Becerra (D-Inc): $2,402,419 / $2,086,572 Dave Jones (D): $580,121 / $1,237,548 + $2,551,439 in '14 acct Steven Bailey (R): $15,353 / $2,393 Nina Salarno (R): $0 / $7,675 SECRETARY OF STATE Incumbent Democrat Alex Padilla is currently unopposed for re-election.
Alex Padilla (D): $281,719 / $277,228 TREASURER (Open) Board of Equalization member Fiona Ma emptied her 2018 re-election account and transferred the remaining $581,669 into her Treasurer committee, raising another $595,786 on top of that to try to close the cash on hand gap with former Assemblyman Mike Gatto. Gatto reported raising just $8,570 in the first half of the year but maintains a war chest of $2,166,485. No Republican has filed, as of yet.
Mike Gatto (D):$8,570 / $2,166,485 Fiona Ma (D): $1,177,455 / $1,413,329 CONTROLLER Controller Betty Yee is currently unopposed for re-election.
Betty Yee (D-Inc): $382,540 / $727, 601 INSURANCE COMMISSIONER (Open) Following the termination of former Courage Campaign Chair Dr. Paul Song's committee for Insurance Commissioner, Sen. Ricardo Lara is currently running unopposed.
Ricardo Lara (D): $362,651 / $260,425
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SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION The 2014 Superintendent of Public Instruction race was one of the costliest on record, with over $20 million in independent expenditures deployed by charter school advocates backing Tuck and teachers union groups backing incumbent Tom Torlakson. While Tuck retains a fundraising edge over Thurmond, the amounts raised are likely to be dwarfed by outside spending as the same battle lines are drawn again in 2018. Because the Superintendent of Public Instruction is a non- partisan office, if one of the candidates receives 50% + 1 of the vote in the June Primary, the race is decided and there is no automatic November run-off.
Marshall Tuck (D): $1,207,516 / $1,063,140 Tony Thurmond (D): $896,493 / $860, 913
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