Millions of dollars have been spent ahead of next week’s election in the 68th State Assembly district race, with oil companies, big tech, labor unions and real estate interests spending heavily in the race between two sitting Santa Ana City Council members.
On Nov. 3, Santa Ana Councilwoman Jessie Lopez is facing off against her council colleague, David Penaloza, to succeed Assemblyman Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) in representing residents in Orange, Anaheim and Santa Ana.
While both Lopez and Penaloza are Democrats, the spending to support their campaigns is starkly different.
A host of committees, including spending groups funded by big tech companies like Google and Meta, have spent over $8.2 million in support of Penaloza, while other groups, including committees funded by labor unions, spent nearly $2.3 million supporting Lopez.
On the flip side of that coin, a committee backed by Service Employees International Union spent over $1.3 million to oppose Penaloza’s campaign, while a host of groups including ones backed by oil companies, big tech and real estate interests spent over $4 million against Lopez.
Penaloza is endorsed by a host of law enforcement and public safety unions, labor unions, the OC Register and the California Democratic Party.
Lopez is endorsed by a host of labor unions including Service Employees International Union, progressive groups, Chispa, Senator Bernie Sanders and the late Labor activist Dolores Huerta.
Who is Funding the 68th State Assembly Candidates?
Since May, a political action committee funded by oil companies like Chevron has spent nearly $980,000 against Lopez’s state campaign, as of Oct. 23.
Meanwhile, another committee largely funded by Christian Larsen, executive chairman of tech company Ripple, and Timothy Draper, founding and managing partner of venture capital firm Draper Associates, spent $1.3 million against Lopez, as of Oct. 21.
The same committee has spent over $2.8 million supporting Penaloza’s campaign, as of Oct. 26.
Another political action committee funded heavily by Google and Meta has dropped nearly $2.8 million in support of Penaloza’s campaign as of Oct. 23.
At least two separate spending committees funded by real estate and developer interests like
The California Association of Realtors have dropped nearly $820,000 combined against Lopez’s State Assembly campaign, as of Oct. 20.
The two groups have spent over $475,000 supporting Penaloza’s campaign, as of Oct. 19.
At the same time, a group mainly funded by labor unions has spent over $1.3 million to support Lopez’s campaign and another roughly $1.25 million against Penaloza’s campaign as of Oct. 26.
Another committee, funded primarily by labor and progressive groups like OC Action and California Working Families Party, have spent over $800,000 in support of Lopez.
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org.
