Jerry Brown’s $24 million campaign war chest
Being close to a one-party state is distorting California politics in unpredictable ways. The latest: According to the Los Angeles Times, Gov. Jerry Brown still holds almost $24 million in his 2014 war chest for governor.
The reason is his Republican opponent last November, Neel Kashkari, wasn’t much of a challenge, Brown spent less than $6 million on his re-election campaign, largely for ads backing Proposition 1 and Proposition 2.
That was different from in 2010, when he faced billionaire Meg Whitman, who spent $180 million.
Which means that, in the future if a Democrat for governor faces a Republican in the November election, a similar war chest will be built up, giving the new governor enormous financial clout. The only exception would be if another wealth Republican wanted to blow $180 million — or, perhaps, is a Hollywood celebrity, like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Brown now will be using his war chest to back statewide initiatives in 2016. So he’s going to be courted. And legislators, even those in his party, will be wary of opposing him lest he fund their opponents.
What about if he runs for president? The Federal Elections Commission told me, “No, he can’t use that money for a federal campaign. Only for state campaigns.”
So if he makes a run at Hillary, he’ll be starting from zero.
10 comments
Write a commentRelated Articles
Southern California country song
I was driving around yesterday morning with a country music fan. He had on our local country station, Go Country
Today's Hottest Petitions
Katy Grimes: I am on an email list for a left-leaning environmental organization called Care2.com, Inc., which is somehow tied
How is it the CWD leaves this out of any of their stories on campaigns and elections?? Billionaires Charles G. and David H. Koch will gather together their rich friends and collectively spend nearly a billion dollars during the next elections!! At $889 million, a figure leaked this week at the Kochs’ annual winter donor retreat near Palm Springs, the brothers’ secretive fundraising network goal would dwarf the $657 million spent by the entire Republican Party during the 2012 elections!! They also have big money going in the California elections! And all the while, the Kochs will largely avoid disclosing the sources of their campaign operation. The Kochs are longtime opponents of campaign disclosure laws. I don’t care how much money these hitler type pigs have along with their army of evil pig billionaires. Just like the middle class workers did last election we will expose these pigs for what they are and the people will rally against them! The best case scenario would be an engine malfunction in their private jet with all of them in it!!!!
Sure Ntheoc, it is the man behind the curtain. Your RAGWUS is stealing billions from people making $30,000 a year so you can pocket $250,000 a year and live in million dollar home, all for doing little to nothing most days. 🙂
Maybe he could spend some of that money to send Big Sis back to the TSA.
Nah. Running for King!
Billionaires Charles and David Koch announced Monday that they would spend nearly $900 million to elect ultra-right candidates, mainly Republicans, in the 2016 presidential and congressional elections. A recent conference included several hundred wealthy donors who have joined the financial network set up by the Koch brothers over the last three elections to boost ultra-right candidates for federal and state office, this is very disturbing. The Koch bros and their crooked helpers constantly fight campaign laws,why is this? Why is the CWD not reporting this yet rails against unions? Democracy cannot survive under these growing conditions of social inequality and how can there be an equality of opportunity among voters when people like Koch brothers donate nearly a billion dollars for the upcoming 2016 elections.
Wipe your mouth Ntheoc, you are showing that you spend to much time on the Daily Kos and Huffp!! What a Commie!! 🙂
The only union you are concerned for is the RAGWUS Ntheoc. Your commie Pres just signed into law a Bill that allows private sector pensions to be cut no matter what the rules were before. Yet you RAGWUS feeding rats were left untouched, but the truth about you feeders is seeping into the youngsters as they see the fruits of your thieving RAGWUS in action. 🙂
And Georgie Soros’ is what Bunkie “your savior” and totally different from the Koch brothers? I believe he is worse because he runs with the questionable clinton’s and his agenda is unacceptable.
ntheoc
is
correct
as
usual…..
And you are foolish as always! 🙂