Steve Hilton: Like Steyer, Hilton is the biggest contributor to his own campaign. But unlike the billionaire Democrat, the former Fox News host turned Republican candidate has funded himself with the much smaller sum of roughly $200,000. A handful of real estate and construction executives have also maxed out on Hilton’s campaign, including Geoff Palmer, a prominent Los Angeles-area real estate developer and prolific Republican donor.
Brin and Chris Larsen of Ripple also maxed out donations to Hilton, as well as pro golfer Phil Mickelson and former Fox News Chairman Rupert Murdoch.
Hilton has promised to reduce regulation on businesses. In particular, he has promised to turbocharge housing production by reducing fees on developers, cutting regulations that slow construction and rolling back the California Environmental Quality Act, a law long reviled by developers.
Chad Bianco: The Riverside sheriff has received large donations from various businesses and the Peace Officers Research Association of California, a law enforcement group. Bianco is running on a campaign of cutting regulation and increasing police funding.
Katie Porter: Unions are among the top donors to Porter, including the California Teamsters and United Auto Workers. So are lawyers and law firms. Larsen also contributed the maximum amount to her campaign. His support for Porter is particularly notable after his company and other crypto firms spent $10 million to defeat her campaign for U.S. Senate in 2024.
Uber contributed $150,000 to an independent effort to elect Porter, though it has spent far more to elect Swalwell.
Porter is running on her record of standing up to Trump and corporations during her time in Congress.
Eric Swalwell: The East Bay congressman has attracted the second-highest total of PAC money in the race. His top supporter is rideshare company Uber, which poured $2 million into independent efforts to support Swalwell. Ambulance company Global Medical Response, the California Dental Association, dialysis company DaVita, the California Medical Association and former gubernatorial candidate Steve Cloobeck each donated $1 million to those efforts, as well.
Swalwell is running on his record of opposing Trump as a member of Congress.
Xavier Becerra: Top donors to the former U.S. health secretary under Joe Biden and the former California attorney general include construction worker unions, health care networks and oil company Chevron.
Becerra is running on his extensive experience in government, including two decades representing the Los Angeles area in Congress.
Matt Mahan: The San Jose mayor has attracted the most outside spending of any candidate. San Francisco venture capitalist Michael Moritz is the biggest contributor, having shelled out $2 million to independent efforts to elect Mahan. Brin, Lunya founder Ashley Merrill, Gmail creator Paul Buchheit and former Y Combinator executive Michael Seibel have also all contributed at least $1 million to elect Mahan.
Mahan, a moderate Democrat, is running on promises not to raise taxes and his experience as a mayor in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Antonio Villaraigosa: The State Building and Construction Trades Council and other construction labor unions are the former Los Angeles mayor’s top donors. He’s also supported by other construction industry groups.
Villaraigosa is running on his record leading the country’s second-largest city. He’s promised to increase oil production in the state to lower gas prices.
Betty Yee: The former state controller’s top donors have backgrounds in finance. She is running on her background as the state’s top accountant.
Tony Thurmond: The state schools chief’s top donor is a real estate investor. Thurmond also has financial backing from multiple labor unions. He’s running on his record developing education policy.