Chevron cash becomes flashpoint in California’s governor race

Oil industry money has become a central issue in California’s governor’s contest, with Chevron and California Resources Corp donating to a committee backing Xavier Becerra and prompting Tom Steyer to attack him as “Big Oil Becerra.” Becerra defends his environmental record and a pragmatic path to the state’s 2045 fossil-fuel phaseout, while Steyer leans on climate credentials and anti-oil messaging. Despite endorsements from major green groups for Steyer, poll numbers show Becerra with a lead as voters weigh affordability and energy reliability, and while oil cash matters, it remains only a part of the race’s spending dynamics.