Billionaire Steyer's spending binge dwarfs rival campaigns in California governor's race [View all]
Source: AP News
In the wide-open race for California governor, billionaire Tom Steyer is on a spending binge.
The hedge fund manager-turned-liberal activist is using his personal fortune to saturate TV screens and mobile phones with advertising, while his competitors accuse him of trying to use his vast wealth to buy the states most powerful job.
Steyers ads in which he promises to bring down household costs or rails against federal immigration raids appear inescapable at times in heavily Democratic Los Angeles, the states largest media market. Data compiled by advertising tracker AdImpact show Steyer has spent or booked over $115 million in ads for broadcast TV, cable and radio nearly 30 times the amount of his nearest Democratic rival.
If he makes it through the June 2 primary election, Steyer could easily eclipse the 2010 record set by Republican Meg Whitman, who spent $178.5 million in a losing bid for governor, much of it her own money. At the time, it was the costliest campaign for statewide office in the nations history.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/california-governor-democrats-tom-steyer-billionaire-6e55c315e687a8cae88012a404753b07