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
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
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
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
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