News: Who’s winning the money race in California

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Who’s winning the money race in California

Apr 18, 2023

By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White, Ramon Castanos and Matthew Brown

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THE BUZZ: START YOUR ENGINES — California’s congressional candidates raked in some seriously sizable funds in the first quarter of 2023.

The “off-year” figures give an early glimpse into who might have the financial muscle to reach in a California election cycle that is sure to include some big showdowns. First quarter figures include contributions from Jan. 1 through March 31 and were due to the Federal Election Commission on Saturday.

Here are five toplines:

McCarthy earned the biggest haul among incumbents — Newly minted Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy topped out with the biggest contribution total last quarter at $2.95 million. Silicon Valley Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who has backed Rep. Barbara Lee in the Senate race, came in a close second with $2.62 million in Q1 contributions. Khanna managed to beat McCarthy in cash-on-hand, ending the quarter with $7.47 million compared to the speaker’s $7.24 million. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi is still holding sway, pulling in $1.14 million this quarter for an ending cash total of $3.37 million.

Baugh leads in the race for Porter’s seat — In what is expected to be one of the most fiercely contested races next year, former Republican Assemblymember Scott Baugh is leading the CA-47 field with $526,000 in contributions last quarter. Rep. Katie Porter’s district has gone purple for several cycles, and both Democrats and Republicans have it as a target for 2024. Former Democratic Rep. Harley Rouda recently took himself out of the running after a fall resulted in a traumatic brain injury — his FEC filings showed $270,235 in contributions with a $1 million infusion from Rouda himself.

State Sen. Dave Min, who won Porter’s coveted blessing, now leads the field of Democrats, raking in $521,281 and ending the quarter with $382,175.

Feuer leads in the race for Schiff’s seat — After fizzling in last year’s Los Angeles mayoral race, City Attorney Mike Feuer appears to be bouncing back with the highest yield among candidates vying for Rep. Adam Schiff’s seat in CA-30. Feuer brought in $657,194 last quarter, followed by state Sen. Anthony Portantino’s $610,183, LAUSD Board of Education Member Nick Melvoin’s $560,330 and Assemblymember Laura Friedman with $336,651.

Simon enjoys an uncrowded field — A month after entering the race to take over Rep. Barbara Lee’s Bay area seat, BART board director Lateefah Simon reports raising $300,535, far above the $1,100 raised by her sole competitor, Alameda Vice Mayor Tony Daysog. Like we said, it’s still early. There are a number of qualified and powerful Bay Area Democrats who could enter the race between now and the primaries to give Simon a run for her money (literally).

Prepare for an expensive Senate race — Schiff led the pack in first quarter fundraising with $6.5 million. Porter brought in $4.8 million, followed by Lee with $1.1 million. Cash is important everywhere, but especially in a statewide California race, where TV time is critical and costly. Schiff’s haul leaves him with nearly $25 million cash-on-hand.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Tuesday morning. Republicans are gathering this morning to call on their Democratic counterparts to take forceful actions to mitigate the fentanyl crisis. Led by Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher and Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, families of fentanyl victims are calling on the Assembly Public Safety Committee to hear bills that would increase penalties for crimes related to the synthetic opioid.

Meanwhile, in SoCal — The conservative Lincoln Institute of California is hosting an evening with former Vice President Mike Pence tonight in Orange County. The event, which will feature a Q&A with the former VP, is part of the group’s project to protect free speech on college campuses.

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up at jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte.

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WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I hope the Republicans will join us in making sure this happens since it is the only right and fair thing to do.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on naming a temporary replacement for Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee this week.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

WE’RE HIRING — POLITICO is embarking on an exciting expansion in the Golden State and looking for another journalist to join our growing team as a California Playbook author. More in the job description here.

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

TOP TALKERS

— “Writers Guild members vote to authorize strike by record margin as contract deadline nears,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Anousha Sakoui: “WGA members voted by a historic margin — 98 percent to 2 percent — (among 9,218 ballots cast) in favor of a strike authorization, which allows union leaders to call a walkout if they are unable to negotiate a new film and TV contract.”

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

— Bass wants to rebuild LAPD, adding hundreds of officers, by the Los Angeles Times’ David Zahniser and Libor Jany: “The LAPD is hemorrhaging officers, with more leaving the force than are joining it. Police Chief Michel Moore reported last week that sworn staffing had fallen to 9,103, down nearly 1,000 from 2019, the year that preceded the outbreak of COVID-19.”

— “California lawmakers want to know why billions in spending isn't reducing homelessness,” by CalMatters’ Marisa Kendall: “The state has stepped up its involvement and investment in the crisis under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s leadership, allocating $20.6 billion toward housing and homelessness since 2018-19, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. But despite the influx of cash, during that time, the number of unhoused people in the state has increased by nearly a third — to more than 170,000 as of last year.”

— “Only 15 percent of Bay Area cities have met California's housing plan deadline. What are the consequences?” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Danielle Echeverria: “More than two months after the deadline for Bay Area cities to submit housing plans to the state, the vast majority — 85 percent — have not come to an agreement with California officials over how to realistically build more homes in the next eight years, a sign of how long and fraught the state-mandated process can be despite the urgency of the housing crisis.”

— “California bills to regulate, ban police facial recognition,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Lindsey Holden: “The American Civil Liberties Union disagrees with this approach. While Ting thinks Assembly Bill 642 responsibly regulates this form of policing, the ACLU wants an outright ban.”

— “U.S. car brands will benefit most from electric vehicle tax breaks,” by The New York Times’ Jack Ewing: “Only 10 vehicles will initially qualify for tax credits of $7,500, less than a quarter of the battery-powered cars on sale in the United States. But those 10 include many of the most popular models and accounted for two-thirds of electric vehicle sales before the new rules took effect.”

A message from Airlines for America:

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

— McCarthy seeks to reassure Wall Street on stalled debt talks, by POLITICO’s Sarah Ferris and Ben White: Rebuffed by President Joe Biden since February on that point, McCarthy and his team are now attempting to demonstrate their seriousness by drafting their own debt limit proposal — one that includes a half-dozen attempts to slash federal spending or loosen regulations in a bid to boost the economy.

— Lobbying ‘frenzy’ follows Biden’s electric car push, by POLITICO’s Timothy Cama and Hannah Northey: The Biden administration’s climate change agenda has spurred a lobbying boom driven by mineral and battery companies seeking a share of billions in federal incentives. More than 30 of those companies retained lobbying firms for the first time since President Joe Biden took office, POLITICO’s E&E News found through an analysis of disclosure records.

GO INSIDE THE 2023 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is proud to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage, insider nuggets and unparalleled insights from the 2023 Global Conference, which will convene leaders in health, finance, politics, philanthropy and entertainment from April 30-May 3. This year’s theme, Advancing a Thriving World, will challenge and inspire attendees to lean into building an optimistic coalition capable of tackling the issues and inequities we collectively face. Don’t miss a thing — subscribe today for a front row seat.

MIXTAPE

— “Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch is bursting with life,” by The Wall Street Journal’s Nidhi Subbaraman.

TRANSITIONS

REBRAND — AKPD Message and Media, the firm that ran media strategy for Mayor Karen Bass’ successful Los Angeles mayoral campaign last year, is relaunching today as Thematic Campaigns. Tyler Law has been promoted to partner alongside Issac Baker and Larry Grisolano. The team has also brought on Whitney Larsen as a partner. She had been the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's national political director for recruitment.

BIRTHDAYS

Amazon’s Brian Huseman … Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Max Cherney

A message from Airlines for America:

Did you know? U.S. airlines transport more than 2 million passengers and 65,000 tons of cargo per day while contributing just 2 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. And we aren’t stopping there. U.S. airlines are continuously investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft and engines, developing sustainable aviation fuel and implementing more efficient procedures – both in-flight and on the ground – to achieve our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. In fact, U.S. airlines improved their fuel efficiency by more than 135% between 1978 and 2021, saving over 5.5 billion metric tons of CO₂. That’s like taking more than 28 million cars off the road every year for over 40 years! Learn more: Airlines Fly Green | Airlines For America.

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.

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