California’s governor race: record outside spending and powerhouse donors shaping the field
TL;DR
Outside money is shattering records in California’s 2026 governor race, with about $79 million spent by outside groups and Tom Steyer’s team contributing roughly $213 million to boost his bid. Becerra benefits from major corporate and union backers, while tech billionaires backed Mahan to push for efficiency with little tax pressure. Swalwell donors largely pivoted to Becerra, and donor activity remains high for Hilton and Porter, illustrating how big-money and well-connected networks are steering the primary.
Topics:nationpolitics#california-governor-2026-election#election-2026#outside-money#politics#tom-steyer#xavier-becerra
- Follow the money: Donors are spending big in California governor’s race CalMatters
- California ‘Class Traitor’ Tom Steyer Wants to Tax His Fellow Billionaires Bloomberg.com
- Tom Steyer’s Closing Pitch at KQED Takes on Affordability Crisis, Corporate ‘Enemies’ KQED
- Letters to the Editor: Tom Steyer could’ve used his campaign budget to actually help Californians Los Angeles Times
- Billionaire Tom Steyer's ad spending breaks records in California governor's race PBS
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