A group of tech-backed super PACs has spent more than $25 million to influence down-ballot state legislative races in California this election cycle, often backing centrist-leaning Democrats facing more progressive opponents.
Now, a liberal advocacy group is trying to make that support from Silicon Valley a political liability for tech-friendly moderates on the ballot in November.
TechEquity Action, an Oakland nonprofit critical of Big Tech’s influence, will launch a statewide advertising campaign today targeting Democrats backed by major tech donors. The group’s $1 million ad campaign — a fraction of tech’s spending this cycle — includes mailers, digital videos (opens in new tab) and posts from social media influencers (opens in new tab) that call out tech’s spending in contests from the Bay Area to Orange County.
“They’re spending heavily because they’re counting on their dollars to make policymakers ignore public outcry on AI-driven job losses and rising costs from algorithmic surveillance pricing and data centers,” said TechEquity Action founder Catherine Bracy.
She added, “That’s why we’re stepping in to inform Californians about how much tech interests are spending to influence policymaking in Sacramento.”
Silicon Valley has historically spent little on campaigns for state legislative office, though the industry has a robust lobbying presence in Sacramento. But tech’s foray into state races has been apparent this cycle due to the emergence of two super PACs that poured money into the June primary, mostly to support moderate Democrats.
Grow California, the larger of the two PACs, spent nearly $14.5 million in the primary and is bankrolled by billionaires Chris Larsen, a San Francisco crypto executive, and Tim Draper, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist. The second PAC, California Leads, spent more than $7.6 million in the same period and is heavily funded by Meta and Google.
Both PACs declined to comment on the ad campaign from TechEquity Action.
TechEquity Action has not disclosed who’s funding the effort. The group has labeled it a “public education campaign” because the ads don’t explicitly ask voters to support or oppose a particular candidate — a distinction that, unless potentially challenged in court, allows the group to avoid filing campaign finance reports.
TechEquity Action is the advocacy arm of a larger nonprofit, TechEquity, that supports policies to address economic inequities created by tech’s growth. Its past donors have included a host of philanthropic foundations, including the Ford and MacArthur foundations.
TechEquity Action’s ads emphasize how Big Tech’s interest in legislative races comes as state lawmakers increasingly wade into bruising fights over AI regulation, data-center development and other hot-button tech issues.
“They’re the newest corporate special interest, tech and AI billionaires, and they’re spending all kinds of millions in California,” one of its video ads states, as images of famous tech executives flash on the screen.
The ad continues, “The billionaires’ agenda: Replace California jobs with AI, block laws that keep kids safe online and raise electricity and water prices with data centers. They’re trying to spend their way into having their way.”
TechEquity Action’s spots target four Dem-on-Dem legislative contests: Assembly District 12 (Marin County), where tech PACs support Eric Lucan against Jackie Elward; Assembly District 68 (Orange County), where the PACs support David Penaloza against Jessie Lopez; state Senate District 24 (west Los Angeles County), where the PACs support Brian Goldsmith against John Erickson; and Senate District 26 (downtown Los Angeles), where tech donors support Sara Hernandez against Sarah Rascon.