California candidates vying for the open Senate seat in 2024 have amassed significant donations since the beginning of the year, according to the latest Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. A total of 25 candidates are currently running for the seat being vacated by Senator Dianne Feinstein, who announced her retirement earlier this year.
One of the frontrunners in terms of fundraising is Representative Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), who has secured nearly $15 million in donations from January 1 to June 30. The majority of Schiff’s contributions come from individual donors, with $14.8 million coming from this source. Despite spending about $6.3 million, Schiff still has an impressive $30 million available in his campaign funds.
Schiff’s war chest is currently nearly three times larger than that of fellow frontrunner Representative Katie Porter. Porter, a progressive who recently won her second term in Congress, announced her candidacy in January and has raised approximately $18.7 million since then. After spending around $8.3 million, Porter has $10.4 million in cash on hand.
Another notable candidate for the Senate seat is Representative Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), who has collected over $2.3 million in donations. After spending $937,000, Lee has $1.4 million in cash remaining.
Recent surveys of California voters have shown a close race developing between Porter and Schiff. In a survey conducted by the nonpartisan think tank Public Policy Institute of California, Porter received 19% of the vote, while Schiff garnered 16% and Lee received 13%. It is worth noting that six Republican candidates received less than 10% of the vote in the same survey.
Schiff has faced opposition from Republicans in the House this year and was censured for comments he made relating to investigations into former President Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Russia, which have since been debunked. Republicans also intend to launch an ethics investigation into Schiff’s conduct. Despite these challenges, Schiff has received endorsements from influential figures such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has contributed $4,000 from her own campaign account and an additional $10,000 from her political action committee, “PAC to the Future.”
On the Republican side, attorney Eric Early of Los Angeles led the Democratic candidates in a poll conducted by the University of California–Berkeley, earning 18% of the vote. Porter followed closely with 17% and Schiff garnered 14%. However, a significant portion of the surveyed voters remained undecided or indicated they would vote for another candidate.
In terms of fundraising, Early trails the top Democratic candidates. As of June 30, he has received about $200,000 from individual donors, bringing his total raised funds to approximately $226,000. With campaign expenses totaling nearly $146,000, Early currently has around $80,000 on hand for the race. However, he also has outstanding campaign loans totaling $103,000.
Among the top fundraisers in the race is Lexi Reese, a former Google executive running as a Democrat. Reese has received $1.1 million in donations, with the majority coming from individual contributors who donated more than $818,000. Additionally, Reese has loaned her campaign nearly $300,000. With a cash balance of approximately $625,000, Reese also has campaign debt of $140,000.
California’s primary election is scheduled for March 5, 2024. The state employs a “jungle primary” voting system, allowing all voters to cast their ballots for candidates regardless of party affiliation. Only the top two candidates will move on to the general election in November.
Senator Feinstein, who turned 90 in June, has faced criticism this year due to a three-month absence as she dealt with health issues. A majority of California voters, 63%, expressed a desire for Feinstein to resign early and allow Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint her successor to complete her term, according to a survey conducted by Emerson College.
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