When it comes to money in politics, Los Angeles County certainly has its share of expensive state legislative races.
California’s 24th State Senate District features 10 candidates — the most of any legislative race in the state — who are all vying to replace termed-out Sen. Ben Allen in this largely coastal district, which stretches from the Santa Monica Mountains down to Rancho Palos Verdes in the South Bay.
To gauge how hotly contested this race is, look no further than the millions of dollars pouring into it, both through the candidates’ own fundraising prowess and spending by outside groups.
There’s also California’s 26th State Senate District, where eight candidates are running for the open seat, making it the second-most contested of all the legislative races in the state. Sen. María Elena Durazo is running for a county Board of Supervisors seat instead of seeking reelection in this district, which includes portions of East L.A. and southeastern L.A. County.
Next week’s primary election will determine which candidates move on to the general election. And while we can’t say yet who all those candidates will be, we do know that there will be at least eight new faces representing L.A. County in the state legislature after the November general election.
That’s because, besides the 24th and 26th State Senate Districts, one other L.A. County Senate race and five Assembly contests have no incumbent running.
Sen. Tom Umberg is termed out in the 34th Senate District, predominantly in Orange County but takes in a portion of southeastern L.A. County, including South Whittier.
In the lower chamber, Assemblymembers Tom Lackey, Jacqui Irwin, Mike Gipson, Al Muratsuchi and Sharon Quirk-Silva are also termed out.
We highlight a few of these races below, based on how much money has been raised or spent. Campaign finance figures reflect amounts that candidates received or spent this year through May 16, as reported to the secretary of state’s office.
Senate District 24
With Allen running for state insurance commissioner, 10 candidates are battling it out to replace him — and outside groups are paying attention.
The Democratic candidates are: Eric Alegria, vice president of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified school board; Amaris Dordar, an attorney; John Erickson, a West Hollywood City Council member; Ellen Evans, a neighborhood association co-founder; Brian Goldsmith, a media consultant; Mike Newhouse, the owner of a small law firm; Dr. Sion Roy, a Santa Monica College Board trustee; and Zennon Ulyate-Crow, executive director of a nonprofit.
Real estate agent Kristina Irwin and G. Rick Marshall, a chief financial officer, are running as Republicans.
The staggering amount of money — more than $8 million — that has poured in from outside groups in just the past several weeks is a tell-tale sign of how heated this race is. These outside groups don’t coordinate with the candidates’ campaigns but make independent expenditures in support or opposition to a candidate.
Since about mid-April, a group called Progressive Leadership for Us has spent over $1.5 million to prop up Goldsmith.
At the same time, outside groups have spent more than $393,000 supporting Erickson, including one sponsored by UNITE Here Local 11, while other groups have poured over $2.8 million into efforts opposing the West Hollywood councilmember. Those opposing him include Grow California, associated with billionaires in the tech and crypto sector, and Keep California Golden, a coalition representing Realtors, correctional peace officers and the building industry.
Roy has also gotten a boost and been targeted by independent groups. Those supporting him spent over $1.3 million, while others spent more than $2.1 million to oppose him. A major supporter of Roy, who is a cardiologist, is a group sponsored by the California Medical Association. Groups sponsored by the California Apartment Association and the California Chamber of Commerce have spent large sums opposing him.
Since the start of this year, the candidates themselves have raised over $2.2 million collectively and spent more than $4.1 million.
Goldsmith, who previously founded two technology start-up companies, was by far the biggest fundraiser and spender, hauling in over $1.1 million and spending a whopping $2.4 million-plus in the first 4.5 months of this year. He had around $600,000 left in his campaign war chest as of May 16.
Next was Erickson, who raked in $412,554, spent $517,681 and had an ending balance of $189,035.
Evans raised $308,033, spent $355,669 and ended the period with $26,532 in hand.
Roy had $132,683 in contributions, $272,035 in expenditures and an ending balance of $293,755.
Newhouse brought in $109,153, spent $268,136 and had $127,854 left in his account.
At least four of the remaining five candidates raised less than six figures, though Alegria ended the period with $118,502 in hand. Campaign finance information for Dordar was not available.
The 24th State Senate District is a largely coastal one that stretches from the Santa Monica Mountains — and includes Agoura Hills, Calabasas and Malibu — to L.A.’s Westside and Hollywood area, and down to the South Bay, taking in Redondo Beach, Torrance and Rancho Palos Verdes.
In this district, 49% of voters registered as Democrats, 21% as Republicans and 23% had no party preference.
Senate District 26
Six Democrats and two Republicans are competing in the 26th State Senate District to replace Durazo, who is running for the county Board of Supervisors.
Retired teacher Paul Bowers, civil rights advocate Juan Camacho, former Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, affordable housing advocate Sara Hernandez, Silver Lake Neighborhood Council member Maebe Pudlo and environmental protection director Sarah Rascón are running as Democrats.
Republicans Claudia Agraz, a construction project administrator, and Pastor Sang “Sam Shin” Masog are also on the ballot.
Candidates in this race have collectively raised more than $679,300 and spent over $1.1 million since the beginning of the year.
Camacho raised $230,485, spent $349,007 and ended the period with $33,488 in cash.
Hernandez raised $229,941 and spent about $396,686, leaving her with an ending balance of $224,405.
Carrillo raised $134,831 and spent $284,504. Her ending balance was about $186,937.
None of the other candidates who filed campaign financing reports raised more than $38,000. Bowers did not file a report.
Spending in recent weeks by outside groups — about $2.65 million in all — was a third of what was spent in this race.
This included more than $2.28 million by groups supporting Hernandez, including Grow California and ones affiliated with the California Apartment Association and housing providers.
A pro-LGBTQ+ group has spent $140,000 supporting Camacho.
Meanwhile, one group representing farmers and ranchers spent over $223,000 opposing Carrillo.
This majority blue district is 60% Democrats. Another 11% of registered voters are Republicans, and 23% have no party preference.
The district stretches from L.A.’s Eagle Rock and Highland Park neighborhoods in the north, toward Los Feliz and Koreatown in the west, and Boyle Heights, East L.A. and the city of Vernon in the southeastern part of the district.
Assembly District 65
Outside groups have spent about $5.95 million in recent weeks to support or oppose two Democrats in this race: Compton Unified school board member and educator Ayanna Davis and Fatima Iqbar-Zubair, a legislative affairs manager.
The other Democratic candidates include Vinson Eugene Allen, a doctor and businessman; Lamar Lyons, a neighborhood council member; and Magali Sanchez-Hall, an environmental justice advocate.
The lone Republican in the race, Lydia Gutiérrez, is a public school teacher.
Although the candidates have raised just over $603,700 themselves, the more notable aspect of this race is the amount of money outside groups are spending in California’s 65th Assembly District: Over $3.59 million has been spent by groups that support Davis. These include Grow California, Keep California Golden and a group sponsored by a bipartisan coalition of municipal and county Latino-appointed and elected leaders.
Meanwhile, groups that support Iqbal-Zubair — including California Working Families Party and a coalition of consumer attorneys, conservationists and food and commercial workers — have spent over $385,200. Other groups working against her, including Grow California and one sponsored by the California Chamber of Commerce, have spent more than $1.86 million.
The candidates are vying to replace Gipson, who is running for a seat on the state Board of Equalization, a body that serves as the state’s tax commission and oversees California’s 58 county assessors.
The 65th Assembly District represents Watts, Compton, Harbor City, Wilmington and San Pedro. Here, Democrats make up 56% of registered voters while Republicans make up 13%. Another 23% have no party preference.
Assembly District 66
Six people are on the ballot for this open seat to represent a South Bay district that stretches from El Segundo and Manhattan Beach southward through Torrance and San Pedro.
The candidates include Democrats Sara Deen, president of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School Board; Scott Houston, a small business owner; Shannon Ruiz-Ross, a member of the L.A. County Beach Commission; and Paul Seo, mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes.
George Barks, a small business owner, and Jessica Zonia Maldonado, a nurse, are running as Republicans.
They’re all hoping to replace Muratsuchi, who is running in the California superintendent of public instruction race.
During the first 4.5 months of this year, the Democrats in this race raised over $641,000 and spent more than $1.35 million, with Seo and Deen spending over half a million dollars each. Fundraising figures for the two Republicans aren’t available.
Deen raised $282,876, spent about $515,610, and ended the period with an estimated $127,440 in the bank.
Seo raised $218,313, spent about $517.802, and had nearly $142,294 on hand.
Houston raised $102,230, spent about $256,080, and had an ending balance of $116,503.
Ruiz-Ross raised $37,775, had $65,865 in expenditures and was left with $30,441.
Over $2.75 million has been spent by outside groups in this race, including $747,916 from Working Families for an Affordable California in support of Ruiz-Ross.
In addition, $667,209 from a group of teachers and healthcare providers has gone toward supporting Deen, while a group advocating for safe schools, affordable housing and healthcare and jobs spent $554,037 opposing her.
Groups have also spent $579,162 in support of Seo. They include one associated with the California Apartment Association as well as the Asian Pacific Islander Leadership PAC.
Democrats have a large voter registration advantage in this district: 43% of voters are Democrats and 27% are Republicans. Another 23% have no party preference.
Assembly District 67
An eye-popping $9.85 million has been poured into this race by outside groups in the past roughly five weeks.
Six people are running for this open seat to replace Quirk-Silva, who is termed out.
The district is mostly in Orange County, but it does include a portion of southeastern L.A. County, including Artesia, Cerritos and Hawaiian Gardens.
Ada Briceño, the former head of the Democratic Party of Orange County; Paul Gonzales, who works for the Orange County Office of the District Attorney; Cerritos Councilmember Mark Pulido and Artesia Councilmember Ali Taj are all running for this seat as Democrats.
In addition, Cerritos insurance producer Adrian Ayub and former Cypress Mayor Paulo Morales are running as Republicans.
The bulk of spending by outside groups has been focused on just two candidates: groups have spent more than $610,900 in support of Briceño, including the Democratic Party of Orange County and California Working Families Party, as well as groups associated with Hawaiian Gardens Casino and the California Commerce Club.
Another $3.2 million has gone into efforts to oppose her, including from Grow California and groups with ties to the California Apartment Association, California Hotel & Lodging Association, California Chamber of Commerce and a PAC called Uber Innovation.
Various groups have also spent more than $5.7 million to support Pulido, including Grow California and California Leads, a super PAC associated with tech giants Google and Meta, as well as groups connected to the California Hotel & Lodging Association and Airbnb.
About $325,000 from a PAC representing teachers, healthcare workers, faculty members, school employees and labor organizations have gone into efforts opposing Taj.
Outside of independent expenditures, Briceño is leading the fundraising, bringing in nearly $302,000 this year with $167,000 cash still on hand. Pulido, meanwhile, reported raising nearly $146,000 since the beginning of the year, according to the latest data from the California secretary of state’s office, with about $52,600 still on hand.
And Taj, who has been endorsed by Quirk-Silva, has raised nearly $85,000 since the start of the year, with more than $200,000 left in his war chest.
The other three candidates did not raise nearly as much: Gonzales reported bringing in $5,900 his year, Morales $5,625 and Ayub just over $1,700.
Voter make-up in this district is about 42% Democrats, 28% Republicans and 25% no party preference.
SCNG’s Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.