The latest set of campaign finance reports is available for your summer reading enjoyment. Calpeek took a peek at the statewide candidates – below is a list of the candidates and the amounts they have in the bank (aka Cash on Hand) as of June 30, 2022.
We all know enough to know that money isn’t everything in campaigns, but it does play a major role. Based on the amounts, it’s safe to say that some incumbents will be extending their summer vacation. Others will be dialing for dollars.
Highlights include: the incumbent Governor has almost $24 million. The Secretary of State challenger has $102. Candidate for the open State Controller’s seat, Malia Cohen, has $2 million less than her opponent, Lahnee Chen. Those numbers do not look good for Cohen, but she did have a contested primary and Chen did not. Based on some of the large amounts of Cash on Hand, an important question might be: what are the rules for transferring the funds to a 2026 Gubernatorial campaign committee?
Ending Cash as of 6/30/22:
Dahle for Governor 2022 – $307,406
Newsom for California Governor 2022 – $23,956,375
Kounalakis for Lieutenant Governor 2022 – $3,715,423
Underwood Jacobs for Lieutenant Governor 2022 – $10,434
Bernosky for Secretary of State 2022 – $102
Weber for Secretary of State 2022 – $853,697
Chen for Controller 2022 – $2,261,375
Cohen for Controller 2022 – $200,644
Guerrero for Treasurer 2022 – $1,360
Ma for Controller 2022 – $2,802,616
Bonta for CA Attorney General 2022 – $1,731,367
Hochman for Attorney General 2022 – $399,761
Christensen for Superintendent of Public Instruction 2022– $1,643
Thurmond for Superintendent of Public Instruction 2022 – $213,634
Howell for Insurance Commissioner 2022 – $0*
Lara for Insurance Commissioner 2022 – $238,002
*(on 7/31/22, Howell’s campaign loaned his campaign $50,000 – there may have been an error in filling out the Late Contribution Report)