Dem-on-Dem East Bay legislative races hit $3.2 million in IE spending

DA candidate Pamela Price again slams opponent, others who have accepted police support after seeking the Dem endorsement

It’s Team Landlords vs. Team Labor in SD10 and AD20.

ELECTION 2022

Days until Election Day: 25.

—MONEY IS TALKING—To paraphrase the Fabulous Thunderbirds: How do you spell elections? M-O-N-E-Y. Independent Expenditure Committees backed by Labor unions, landlords and special interests in the East Bay’s two ultra-competitive Dem-on-Dem state legislative races have spent a combined $3.2 million during the November election cycle.

—Most of the spending has occurred in just the past few weeks. For the entire 2022 election cycle, IEs have spent a combined $6 million on both local races.

—The 10th State Senate District primary featuring Aisha Wahab and Lily Mei was one of the most expensive primary races in the entire state. The 20th Assembly District race including Liz Ortega-Toro and Shawn Kumagai was near the Top 10. The spending spree has continued in the fall.

—It’s no surprise that money from IEs have opened the cash spigot in both these races. They basically represent proxy battles between labor unions on one side, and businesspeople and real estate interests on the other.

—Here’s the shorthand: Team Labor is Wahab in SD10 and Ortega-Toro in AD20. On the other side is Team Landlords: Mei in SD10 and Kumagai in AD20.

—A look at the IE spending in both races during the current November General Election and the June Primary (see below) shows spending in support and in opposition share a number of similar groups.

—In total, $3.2 million has been spent in the General Election in SD10, as of Friday; $2 million has been spent in AD20. The IE backed by AFSCME Local 32299 and separately supporting Wahab and Ortega-Toro has been a financial wrecking ball throughout the year.

—UC Berkeley Custodians, Cooks, Groundskeepers and Nurse Assistants Supporting Liz Ortega for Assembly 2022/Aisha Wahab for Senate 2022” has spent a combined $2 million for the candidates and against their opponents this year. Most of the expenditures have been used on television commercials.

—IEs supporting Mei and Kumagai, however, have largely preferred to blanket the SD10 and AD20 districts with an avalanche of mailers. Kumagai greatly benefitted in the primary by the onslaught of positive, typically biographical mailers in support of his campaign.

—Meanwhile, IE’s supporting Mei often used the endorsement of Rep. Ro Khanna to its advantage in a number of mailers both in the spring and the fall campaigns.

10TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT

AISHA WAHAB (D)

NOV. ELECTION IE SPENDING

—SUPPORT - Total: $326,875

• East and South Bay Working Families United $312,662.

• South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council Committee on Political Education $14,213.

—OPPOSE - Total: $548,868

• Keeping Californians Working, A Coalition of Insurance Agents, Technology, Energy, and Health Care Providers $337,432.

• Keep California Golden $211,436.

—NOV. SUPPORT/OPPOSE TOTAL: $875,743

JUNE PRIMARY SPENDING

—SUPPORT - Total: $617,995

• AFSCME Local 3299 $576,013

• California Working Families Party $22,928

• SEIU-UHW West PAC $20,041

• California Nurses Association PAC $8,013

—OPPOSE - Total: $244,463\

• Keeping Californians Working $148,421

• Keep California Golden $96,042

—JUNE SUPPORT/OPPOSE TOTAL: $862,458

—2022 SUPPORT/OPPOSE TOTAL: $1,738,201

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LILY MEI (D)

NOV. ELECTION IE SPENDING

—SUPPORT - Total: $377,652

• DaVita Inc. Including Aggregated Contributions $295,016

• Personal Insurance Federation Committee $64,201

• Building a Healthy Future for California, Facilitated by Agriculture Council of CA $18,435.

—OPPOSE - Total: $542,017

• AFSCME Local 3299 $439,971

• Opportunity PAC $102,046

—NOV. SUPPORT/OPPOSE: $919,669

JUNE PRIMARY SPENDING

—SUPPORT - Total: $793,626

• DaVita Inc. $267,137

• Keep California Golden $227,095

• Keeping Californians Working $221,320

• Silicon Valley JobsPAC $78,074

—OPPOSE - Total: $529,737

• Opportunity PAC $529,737

—JUNE SUPPORT/OPPOSE TOTAL: $1,323,363

—2022 SUPPORT/OPPOSE TOTAL: $$2,243,032

20TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

LIZ ORTEGA-TORO (D)

NOV. ELECTION IE SPENDING

—SUPPORT - Total: $471,092

• AFSCME Local 3299 $262,651

• East and South Bay Working Families United $208,441.

—OPPOSE - Total: $158,107

• Keep California Golden $158,107.

—NOV. SUPPORT/OPPOSE TOTAL: $629,199

JUNE PRIMARY SPENDING

SUPPORT - Total: $603,276

• AFSCME Local 3299 $499,992

• East Bay Together $103,284

—OPPOSE - Total: $0

• None

—JUNE SUPPORT/OPPOSE TOTAL: $603,276

—2022 SUPPORT/OPPOSE TOTAL: $1,232,475

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SHAWN KUMAGAI (D)

NOV. ELECTION IE SPENDING

—SUPPORT - Total: $614,838

• DaVita Inc. Including Aggregated Contributions $249,905

• Families and Teachers United $208,018

• Equality California PAC $100,000

• Keeping Californians Working $56,915

—OPPOSE - Total: $542,017

• AFSCME Local 3299 $99,438

• Nurses and Educators for a Brighter California Future $84,193

—NOV. SUPPORT/OPPOSE: $798,469

JUNE PRIMARY SPENDING

SUPPORT - Total: $754,111

• Keep California Golden $172,263

• Future PAC $92,221

• Keeping California Working $86,843

• Davita Inc. $77,866

• Leaders for California Recovery $70,795

• Asian Pacific Islander Leadership $60,011

• Calif. Dental Association PAC $59,975

• Calif. Credit Union League PAC $44,526

• Fighting for Our Future $29,600

—OPPOSE - Total: $0

• None

—JUNE SUPPORT/OPPOSE TOTAL: $754,111

—2022 SUPPORT/OPPOSE TOTAL: $1,552,580