{"id":368038,"date":"2023-11-01T05:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/?p=368038"},"modified":"2023-11-01T17:40:15","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T00:40:15","slug":"california-election-senate-fundraising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/_zh\/politics\/2023\/11\/california-election-senate-fundraising\/","title":{"rendered":"Where are the top U.S. Senate candidates raising their cash?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t\n\t\t
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In summary<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

It\u2019s the highest-profile race next year in California. This is where the leading candidates \u2014 Democrats Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff \u2014 are raising the most money. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n

Lea este art\u00edculo en espa\u00f1ol<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In northwest Los Angeles, a 15-square-mile enclave<\/a> sits at the foot of the Santa Monica Mountains. Tucked between Bel Air and the ridges, the neighborhood is where nature, art and wealth concentrate: It boasts both the Getty Museum and the Skirball Cultural Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also home to the most generous donors in California\u2019s 2024 U.S. Senate race. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to zip code 90049 \u2014 an area in Brentwood churning out more campaign cash for Senate candidates this year than any other California zip code, according to a CalMatters analysis of itemized federal campaign finance data<\/a> for individual donors who have contributed more than $200 this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of Sept. 30, more than 170 donors who live there had collectively contributed roughly $300,000 to U.S. Senate candidates, with $283,000 \u2014 97% \u2014 going to three prominent Democrats: U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee of Oakland, Katie Porter of Irvine and Adam Schiff of Burbank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three have been top fundraisers in the race to succeed the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, hauling in a total of $35 million from individuals, political action committees and other groups by the end of September. Schiff entered October with $32 million in the bank<\/a> \u2014 more than all his opponents combined \u2014 while Porter had $12 million and Lee, $1.3 million. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Feinstein\u2019s death in late September, there will be two simultaneous contests in the March 5 primary and Nov. 5 general election \u2014 one for the final two months of her term and the other for a full six-year term. That also means that candidate campaigns can collect twice the maximum amount from each individual donor \u2014 a total of $6,600<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current officeholder, Laphonza Butler, appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, announced earlier this month that she won\u2019t run next year<\/a> to try to keep the seat. That means it\u2019s the first open race for one of California\u2019s U.S. Senate seats since Feinstein was first elected in 1992. And it will be awash in campaign cash.   <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schiff is the most popular candidate among donors who live in 90049: They gave his campaign roughly $200,000 this year \u2014 more than he received anywhere else in the state. Porter netted $76,000 and Lee $6,700 from the same area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The zip code was also the most active in political contributions as the 2020 presidential race was heating up in fall 2019, contributing at least $1.3 million by Sept. 30 that year<\/a>. Vice President Kamala Harris \u2014 then California\u2019s junior U.S. senator \u2014 received $300,000 from the area, more than any of her primary opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n

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And Greater Los Angeles \u2014 the second-most populous urban center <\/a>in the United States \u2014 consistently ranks among metro areas generating the most campaign contributions, according to OpenSecrets<\/a>, a nonpartisan nonprofit research group, based in Washington, D.C., that tracks money in U.S. politics and that is assisting CalMatters in analyzing the U.S. Senate money race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, donors in the city of Los Angeles have made at least $1.6 million in contributions \u2014 more than any other city in the state, data shows. And of the top 20 California zip codes contributing the most amounts this year, 11 are in Los Angeles County. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cParticularly among Democratic candidates, there are a lot of rich liberals, and that’s something you don’t necessarily see in every location,\u201dsaid John Pitney, professor of political science at the Claremont McKenna College. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home field advantage?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Schiff, who has represented northern Los Angeles <\/strong>County since 2001, has attracted most of the campaign contributions from his home county, itemized data shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His campaign received $1.2 million of the total $1.6 million in contributions from Los Angeles donors. Of the top 10 California zip codes giving to his campaign, eight are located in Los Angeles County. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, just one \u2014 90210 in Beverly Hills \u2014 falls at least partially within the congressional district he represents. Most \u2014 such as Brentwood, Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica \u2014 are represented by U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman, a Democrat from Sherman Oaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Left:
Left: Rep. Adam Schiff. Photo by Ron Sachs, CNP\/startraksphoto.com\/Cover Images via Reuters; Center: Rep. Barbara Lee. Photo by J. Scott Applewhite, AP Photo; Right: Rep. Katie Porter. Photo by Andrew Harnik\/Pool via REUTERS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lee\u2019s top-contributing zip codes are mainly in Northern California, such as her home city of Oakland, as well as Berkeley and San Jose, data shows. Unlike Schiff, most of Lee\u2019s top-contributing zip codes fall within her district. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most Oakland donors to the three Democrats gave to Lee, who netted $314,000 from the city, compared to just $61,000 for Schiff and $44,000 for Porter in the first nine months of the year. Lee also raised the most from Berkeley, bringing in more than $146,000. Schiff received a little less than $60,000 from Berkeley donors <\/strong>and Porter $35,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Porter, who represents a competitive congressional district and who defeated her Republican challenger by just 3 percentage points in November 2022<\/a>, is not relying on much campaign cash from her home district for her Senate campaign so far. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the top 10 California zip codes contributing to Porter\u2019s campaign, only one \u2014 92651 in Laguna Beach \u2014 is in Orange County. Like Schiff, her top-contributing zip code is also 90049 in Brentwood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One reason for the lack of home district support for Porter \u2014 Orange County is more Republican than Los Angeles and Alameda, according to voter registration data maintained by California Secretary of State<\/a>. \u201cIf you have a predominantly Democratic district, that may very well be where a lot of Democratic dollars live, too,\u201d Pitney said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, Porter\u2019s candidacy is partly boosted by her viral whiteboard approach to congressional hearings, he said: \u201cIf you’d like seeing a progressive member of Congress humiliate a bad guy in a congressional hearing, you could be just about anywhere in California.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-state vs. out-of-state money<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Despite having different fundraising strongholds across the state, the three top Democrats have one thing in common: More than half of their contributions from individuals and political action committees come from within California, according to the CalMatters analysis, which only includes itemized contributions and does not include transfers from the candidates\u2019 congressional accounts or any refunds to donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lee has the highest share of in-state money among the three \u2014 64.6% \u2014 collecting $1.6 million from in-state donors. Schiff ranks second with 58.4% and Porter, a close third, raised 57.9% from the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Schiff\u2019s campaign had the highest amount of in-state contributions, totaling $6.4 million from donors who each gave more than $200 this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n