Healthcare union and tech titans pour millions into battle over California’s billionaire tax proposal
From OpenSecrets:
Campaign fundraising around California’s three billionaire tax-related ballot initiatives has already exceeded $123.7 million. In favor of the one-time tax on billionaire net worth is the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, which has spent more than $30 million on its campaign supporting the tax. On the other side, a donor group of billionaires has spent more than $116 million opposing the tax, both by opposing the initiative and promoting two competing initiatives that would block it.
Andreessen Horowitz Is Spending on Politics Like No Other
From The New York Times: The venture capital fund Andreessen Horowitz, co-founded by billionaires Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, has become the largest donor in the 2026 midterm elections. The fund’s founders and organizations connected to them have given more than $115 million this cycle, primarily to pro-crypto and AI Super PACs. They’ve also given over $17 million to support Republican leadership, including $12 million to America Inc., President Trump’s Super PAC. This is a significant escalation from their 2024 spending, which was only $62.9 million despite 2024 being a presidential election, which usually sees higher spending totals.
ActBlue scrutiny fuels new GOP bills to tighten election donation rules
From Fox News: Bryan Steil (R-WI), the chairman of the House Administration Committee, has introduced two bills that would apply new transparency regulations to political donation processors, particularly ActBlue. ActBlue, the main donation platform for Democratic candidates and committees, has been under investigation by the Committee for allegedly allowing contributions from foreign nationals who are prohibited from giving to political campaigns under federal law. Steil’s proposed legislation would require citizenship verification for donations made from an address outside the US and prohibit foreign nationals from funding election administration.
‘Dark money’ casts a shadow over L.A. elections, with mystery group pumping out attack mail
From the L.A. Times:
Multiple nonprofits are funding negative mailer campaigns in Los Angeles, sending out attack ads against the city’s left-leaning city councilors. Neighbors First, one of the groups behind the attack ads, is registered as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, meaning it isn’t legally required to disclose its donors. Such groups are often referred to as “dark money” groups. Neighbors First’s website has no information about who is funding or working for the group, or who is behind the mailers. Dark money has become a common feature in many elections across the country, but has not previously been a large factor in L.A. elections.