Tom Steyer Burned $216 Million in Failed California Governor Primary, Pushing Total Losses Past $500 Million
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11
Tom Steyer Burned $216 Million in Failed California Governor Primary, Pushing Total Losses Past $500 Million
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11
Summary
$216 million made Tom Steyer's failed California governor bid the most expensive primary campaign in state history after he missed the top-two runoff.
$201 million of that total went to advertising, underscoring how heavily the billionaire climate activist relied on self-funding to try to break through with voters.
Steyer's latest defeat followed his roughly $342 million failed 2020 presidential run, lifting his cumulative spending on unsuccessful campaigns above $500 million.
The outlay exceeded other recent self-funded losses such as David Trone's $60 million and Mehmet Oz's nearly $27 million, though it still trailed Michael Bloomberg's $1 billion 2020 presidential effort.