FREE
Eastvale seventh grader ties for 10th in National Spelling Bee
Desert Healthcare District board terminates CEO Christensen
PG 02
PG 27
VISIT HEYSOCAL.COM
MONDAY, JUNE 01-JUNE 07, 2026
NO. 278
VOL. 12,
Follow the money: Who’s backing California’s next governor — and why
San Bernardino receives $1.15M from feds for disaster prep
By Jeanne Kuang and Jeremia Kimelman, CalMatters
By Staff
This story was originally published by CalMatters.
C
ampaign donations are both a measure of popular support and a sign of which candidates special interests believe they can influence. CalMatters analyzed campaign finance data in the California governor’s race. Here are five takeaways on where the money is coming from and where it’s going. Outside money is shattering records It’s a record-breaking election when it comes to spending by corporations and special interest groups trying to influence who becomes the next governor. Outside groups, which unlike candidates can receive unlimited donations, reported spending $79 million so far — more than double the amount spent through the November 2018 general election when Gavin Newsom won his first term. Billionaire Tom Steyer is the biggest target: A political spending committee called California Is Not For Sale, funded by the state Realtors association, the California Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Gas & Electric and the state’s electrical workers’ union poured $32 million into ads opposing him. Steyer has vowed to lower electricity bills by challenging PG&E’s monopoly in much of Northern California. He’s also promised to pursue a ballot measure that would raise revenue for public services by requiring more accurate property tax assessments on business properties, a move that could upend the commercial real estate market. Some of the same groups spending against Steyer are running ads for Xavier Becerra. Those groups — along with organiza-
| Chart courtesy of Jeremia Kimelman/CalMatters
tions representing doctors, contractors and several labor unions — have spent $13 million through PACs to boost Becerra. Chevron, McDonald’s, dialysis giant DaVita and one of the state’s largest oil drillers, California Resources Corp., are funding one of the largest pro-Becerra groups, with each of them contributing $500,000. Meta and AirBnB chipped in about $1 million each and health insurance corporation Centene, which runs California-based HealthNet, put in $100,000. Steyer is reveling in the spending against him, pointing to it as proof he’d stand up to utilities and big business. A climate activist, Steyer has highlighted Becerra’s support from Chevron. The progressive unions California Nurses Association and United Domestic Workers have spent a comparatively modest $1.4 million on mailers and digital media boosting Steyer. Outside groups have also spent $1.8 million opposing Republican frontrunner Steve Hilton, a
former Fox News host and British political strategist. Mahan fizzles out The second-highest outside spending went to boost Mahan, the San Jose mayor and moderate Democrat who entered the race late to much fanfare from Silicon Valley. California’s tech billionaires urged Mahan to run and backed him with millions in donations and two independent spending committees. They were enamored with his platform of government efficiency and opposition to new taxes — positions that would shield them from the Legislature’s push to regulate tech and raise taxes on the wealthy. Donors included venture capitalists Michael Moritz and Brian Singerman, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu, Intuit founder Scott Cook, Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Los Angeles developer and former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso.
The committees spent nearly $22 million on ads supporting Mahan, significantly more than the $9 million his campaign has spent. But the money wasn’t enough to overcome his significant disadvantage in name recognition as the first-term mayor of a city that doesn’t get much attention. Strategists told the committees’ backers they needed at least $45 million to make a difference. One of the PACs, California Back to Basics, last week returned $1 million from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings; Hastings cryptically posted on X that he hadn’t asked for the money back. The refund was an acknowledgement that the committee hadn’t succeeded in raking in a final $10 to $15 million the billionaire backers hoped to raise in the last weeks of the campaign, committee spokesperson Matt Rodriguez said. Steyer spending breaking
See Campaign donations Page 05
S
an Bernardino has been more than $1 million to improve disaster preparedness at water pump stations and for traffic signals, city officials said Wednesday. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-San Bernardino, secured the nearly $1.15 million grant administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support the installation of permanent backup power generators at water booster pump stations and battery backup systems for up to 50 traffic signals throughout the city. “This is about preparedness, resilience, and protecting San Bernardino residents and businesses,” Mayor Helen Tran said in a statement. “The funding from Congressman Aguilar helps us deliver safer streets, improved emergency response, and greater continuity during power outages and emergencies.” The wildfire disasters last year in Pacific Palisades and Altadena spurred San Bernardino officials to prioritize spending that reflects the critical need for maintaining reliable water infrastructure and electricity during emergencies. Lessons from the Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires showed how widespread power outages can hinder firefighting, disrupt emergency responders leading to greater threats to public safety during already perilous circumstances such as a wildfire. “I’m proud to deliver more than $1 million for emergency water and infrastructure projects that will help reduce the impact of power outages and make it easier for first responders to do their job,” Aguilar said in a statement. “The upgrades to these backup See Disaster prep Page 28
energy systems will reduce the disruptions residents and firefighters experience when we lose power, especially during disasters like worsening wildfires.” The FEMA-funded project will place permanent emergency generators at the Verdemont and Meyers/Magnolia water booster pump stations, officials said. The generators will maintain water pressure when primary electrical power is interrupted. “Reliable water service is not just a convenience — it is essential for public health, firefighting capabilities, and protecting our neighborhoods during times of crisis,” City Councilwoman Kim Knaus said in a statement. The project also calls for battery systems to provide backup electricity for up to 50 high-volume traffic lights citywide, allowing intersections to remain operational during power outages. Maintaining functional traffic signals is key to public safety during disasters, reducing congestion on the roads supports emergency response. In recent years the city has experienced major wildfires, flooding, severe wind events and an ongoing risk of earthquakes associated with the San Andreas Fault, which cuts through northeast San Bernardino. Between October 2023 and January 2025, the Southern California Edison utility conducted 119 “Public Safety Power Shutoffs” that impacted nearly 35,000 San Bernardino residents, totaling more than 4,000 outage hours because of extreme fire-hazard and wind conditions. “The need for backup emergency power supply