A small field of candidates hoping to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown next year has already raised more than $30 million. Here’s what we know.
Who’s raised the most?
Gavin Newsom, whose donors range from Silicon Valley to Hollywood, has raised more money than his competition combined. Asian American business leaders have contributed large sums to John Chiang, while Antonio Villaraigosa has reached out to wealthy Angelenos.
| Total (in millions) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
Gavin Newsom (D) Lieutenant governor |
$16.0 | |
| 2. |
John Chiang (D) State treasurer |
6.9 | |
| 3. |
Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Former mayor of Los Angeles |
5.1 | |
| 4. |
John Cox (R) Businessman and venture capitalist |
3.2 | |
| 5. |
Delaine Eastin (D) Former state superintendent of public instruction |
0.3 | |
| 6. |
Travis Allen (R) Assemblyman from Huntington Beach |
0.1 | |
Newsom is out to an early lead
The other candidates are scrambling to catch Newsom, who was fundraising more than a year before he had any competition. While Chiang has gradually climbed, Villaraigosa jumped up quickly thanks to many large donations. Republican John Cox has given $3 million to his own campaign.
Note: This chart is limited to contributions for which a date was disclosed.
A north-south divide
Most of Newsom’s money has come from the Bay Area, including $4.6 million from San Francisco, where he served as mayor. Chiang, who lives in Torrance, has raised the most of any candidate in Los Angeles County. While Villaraigosa trails his Democratic counterparts, he has made inroads in the Central Valley.
The spheres of influence
Wall Street bankers, Silicon Valley venture capitalists and other investors are the top backers of candidates, continuing a trend from past elections. But they account for only 10% of the overall money. 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 all across the state. He also has the most money from small donors, whose identities are not disclosed.
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
Peter Thiel
Venture capitalist and PayPal cofounder who supported Republican Donald Trump in 2016 presidential election
$56,400
George Soros
Chairman of an investment management firm and philanthropist. Leading benefactor of Democratic candidates
$56,400
Bill Maher
Entertainer and host of HBO’s Real Time, who has encouraged Newsom to run for president in 2020
$28,200
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
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.
Alice and JP Wang
President and CEO of Golden Star Technology
$114,800
Jackson and Julie Yang
Owners of Seville Classics, a manufacturer and distributer of organizational and storage products
$100,000
C.C. and Regina Yin
Owners of several dozen McDonald’s restaurants
$94,600
Christopher Pak
President and CEO of the architectural firm Archeon International Group
$57,086
Henry Chen
President of Regal Wheel Corp., a distributor of automotive supplies
$50,000
Wilson Wang
Real estate broker with Atlas Hospitality Group
$42,700
Eric and Susan Smidt
Chairman and chief executive officer of Harbor Freight Tools, and his wife
$40,000
Richard Riordan
Former L.A. mayor, who has given to both Chiang and Villaraigosa
$14,100
Antonio Villaraigosa
Villaraigosa immediately fielded donations from wealthy Angelenos, some of whom supported his runs for mayor. More than 70% of his money has come in donations of $20,000 or more.
Stewart and Lynda Resnick
Billionaire couple behind Fiji Water and POM Wonderful juice. Have given to both Newsom and Villaraigosa
$112,800
Eli and Edythe L. Broad
Philanthropists in the arts and education
$112,800
Marc and Jane Nathanson
Chairman of private venture capital firm Mapleton Investments, and his wife, a psychotherapist
$61,400
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
Reed Hastings
Netflix CEO and supporter of charter schools in Los Angeles
$56,400
Ryan Seacrest
Radio and television personality
$56,400
Richard Riordan
Former L.A. mayor, who has given to both Chiang and Villaraigosa
$14,100
Fabian Nuñez
Former speaker of the California State Assembly
$8,400
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 June 30, 2017; 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, and it will be updated as the campaign progresses.
Credits: Photo editing by Andrea Roberson, development by Ben Welsh and Andrew Briz, classification algorithm by Anthony Pesce
