Katie Porter speaks during a gubernatorial forum in Sacramento last year. The former congressional representative has dropped slightly in recent polls but remains competitive with Tom Steyer and Rep. Eric Swalwell.
PAUL KITAGAKI JR.
pkitagaki@sacbee.com
Democrat Katie Porter is criticizing a rival in the race for California governor, Rep. Eric Swalwell, for taking $39,200 from a gasoline distributor, a move that she says violates his pledge to reject fossil fuel industry donations.
The attack is the latest indication a trio of leading Democrats are willing to go negative in a governor’s race that lacks a clear frontrunner.
Monday’s contribution came from Boyett Petroleum, a company that transports gasoline across California and other Western states. It is the maximum contribution campaigns can accept and spend in the primary from a single donor.
Swalwell and Porter are signatories to the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge. In signing it, candidates agree not to accept more than $200 from “companies whose primary business is the extraction, processing, distribution, or sale of oil, gas, or coal.”
The pledge has also been signed by three other Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls: Billionaire Tom Steyer, former state controller Betty Yee and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
In a statement, Swalwell spokesperson Micah Beasley suggested the contribution didn’t count against the pledge.
“Boyett Petroleum is a family-owned trucking company that transports oil to gas stations,” Beasley said. “It’s not a fossil fuel extraction company.”
In a fundraising email Friday morning, Porter attacked Swalwell and Steyer, whose firm invested in fossil fuels before he pivoted to becoming a climate-change activist and politician.
“If our opponents are willing to sell out our environment to win this race, what other values will they fold on?” Porter said in the email.
Steyer campaign spokesperson Kevin Liao said the Democrat “has an unmatched track record on environmental advocacy — from leading the successful campaign to defend California’s landmark climate law to co-founding a clean tech investment firm.”
An Emerson College poll released this week found Swalwell garnered support from 17% of likely voters in the June 2 primary, compared to 11% for billionaire Tom Steyer and 8% for Porter. Five other Democrats polled at 5% or less. But a quarter of those polled said they were undecided, and other recent polls have shown the three Democrats effectively tied with two Republicans, former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
Steyer has spent millions of his own money on ads defining himself and, in recent weeks, attacking Swalwell for missing congressional votes. His campaign has also filed paperwork with state election officials questioning Swalwell’s residency in California, claims that Swalwell has vigorously rebutted.
A group backing Swalwell has launched ads describing Swalwell as “not a billionaire” and “the fighter billions can’t buy.”
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Ben Paviour is the California political power reporter for The Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Bureau. He previously covered Virginia state politics for public radio and was a local investigations fellow at The New York Times. He got his start in journalism at the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. Before becoming a reporter, he worked in local government and tech in the Bay Area.