For Republicans fundraising is…complicated

The Republican National Committee is rolling in money, while the Democratic National Committee struggles. Not so in California.

Here, where Democratic voters vastly outnumber Republicans, the California Democratic Party’s main fundraising committee hauled in $17.4 million in the first six months of 2026 and had $25.5 million in cash on hand heading into the November election.

The California Republican Party took in a paltry $119,893 in the first half of the year and had $1,032,694 in the bank at the end of June, not sufficient for a single competitive Assembly race.

For California’s once Grand Old Party, it’s even worse than it seems. Mid-year campaign finance reports show:

• The state Democratic Party raised six-figure sums from at least 51 major donors in the first six months of 2026.
• Fighting what likely will be a losing battle to win even a single statewide office, the state Republican Party received no donations of $100,000 or more in the first half of this year.
• Between April 19 and June 30, the GOP disclosed only two donations–$5,000 from AT&T and $10,000 from the Association of California Life & Health Insurance Companies. However, it refunded money to other donors, leaving the total take during that period at $6,980.

Donors have given more money to the California Republican Party’s federal account, which can spend money on congressional races. But that federal account ended June with $490,000 in the bank, a federal election commission filing shows.

California Republican Party spokesman Matt Shupe declined to be interviewed but sent a 235-word email citing the national party’s fundraising prowess, and saying:

“The short snapshot of time in the state financial reports reflects the ebbs and flows of political fundraising and the hard-fought final days of a Republican primary for governor without a self-funded candidate.”

In the past, the state party and legislative leaders raised money jointly. But there has been a split over money allocation, and Assembly Republican Leader Heath Flora and Senate Republican Leader Brian Jones established a joint political action committee, overseen by veteran campaign manager Marty Wilson.

The California Republican Party took in a paltry $119,893 in the first half of the year and had $1,032,694 in the bank at the end of June, not sufficient for a single competitive Assembly race.

The Legislative Action PAC has raised $3.7 million so far in 2026 and had $4.9 million in the bank as of June 30. Many donors—oil, tech and pharmaceutical companies—are sending money directly to the legislators’ leadership committee. Google, for one, gave $300,000, and AT&T gave $200,000 in June.

Separately, drawn by the promise of power, donors contributed $11 million to Xavier Becerra, the Democratic nominee for governor, in the six-week period ending on June 30, compared with $4.4 million for his Republican opponent, Steve Hilton.

More than half of Becerra’s sum–$5.6 million—flowed into his campaign account between June 2 when he emerged as the top vote-getter in the primary and June 30. Hilton raised $1.9 million during that period.

By the end of June, Becerra had $6.2 million in the bank. And his fundraising hasn’t slowed. In July, the frontrunner to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom raised no less than $2.9 million, other campaign finance reports show

Hilton’s mid-year report showed he had $2.1 million in the bank but debts of $1.4 million, with outstanding bills to consultants, lawyers, American Express and various other vendors.

Although Becerra is outraising Hilton, Hilton is raising large sums from small-dollar donors. Of the $1.9 million Hilton raised between the primary on June 2 and the end of the filing period, June 30, $984,000 came in increments of less than $1,000, and more than a third of that came from outside California.

Small dollar donors are important to candidates as they can tap large numbers of such contributors for regular if small sums.

California’s campaign finance reports include a category called un-itemized receipts of less than $100. Becerra’s mid-year report showed he raised $278,000 in such increments. Hilton reported $765,000 in that same category.

Hilton spokesman Hector Barajas attributed the large number of small donors from outside California to Hilton’s background as a Fox News host, his presence on social media and the concern that California’s policies and problems will spread to other states.

Separate late contribution reports show Hilton raised an additional $427,000 in July, though those reports only count donations of $5,000 or more. Becerra raised almost seven times that sum in July in increments of $5,000 or more.

The California Republican Party’s fundraising hasn’t always been so pitiful. In the 2005-2006 cycle, when Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ran for reelection, the California Republican Party raised $45.5 million, and tapped all manner of interests, from tobacco and oil companies to gambling and insurance concerns. Such donors are all but absent in 2026, at least in the first half of the year.

Individuals’ expiring biological clocks exacerbated to the GOP’s decline. A. Jerrold Perenchio gave the state Republican Party almost $5.4 million in 2005-2006. He died in 2017. Texan T. Boone Pickens gave $3 million to the California GOP during Schwarzenegger’s 2006 reelection. He died in 2019.

A few major donors have switched allegiances. Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso, for example, gave the state GOP $240,000 in 2005-2006. Now a moderate Democrat, Caruso backed San Jose Mayor Matt Mahon’s candidacy in the primary for governor.

The state GOP had been a money player during the 2025 redistricting fight when it raised $18.4 million–an experience that may have further soured the GOP’s big donors from spending in California.

Answering President Donald J. Trump’s demand that leaders in conservative states gerrymander congressional maps to favor Republicans, California voters overwhelmingly approved Newsom’s Proposition 50 to redraw this state’s congressional boundaries to favor Democrats.

By the end of June, Becerra had $6.2 million in the bank. And his fundraising hasn’t slowed. In July, the frontrunner to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom raised no less than $2.9 million, other campaign finance reports show.

Chevron had given the state Republican Party $400,000 in 2025 and the California Real estate political action committee added $350,000. Large though those donation were, they didn’t match sums given when Schwarzenegger held office. Chevron gave the state GOP $900,000 in 2005-2006, and the California Real Estate political action committee gave $643,000. Neither has given to the state GOP in 2026.

Schwarzenegger predicted as much a year after his reelection. As detailed by the political affairs reporter Carla Marinucci, then of the San Francisco Chronicle, Schwarzenegger appeared at a 2007 GOP convention in Indian Wells and told the party faithful:

“In movie terms, we are dying at the box office. We are not filling the seats.”

He urged the GOP to take moderate stands by accepting climate change solutions and acknowledging the need for affordable healthcare.

The California Democratic Party’s fundraising has expanded, though there have been notable changes. A decade ago, in the first six months of 2016, it raised $12.7 million. Back then Chevron was a major donor, giving the Party $415,000.

Having relocated its corporate headquarters from San Ramon to Texas, Chevron has given zero to the California Democratic Party in 2026, though it did contribute $500,000 to an independent campaign that boosted Becerra’s candidacy in the primary.

PG&E was another major donor in the past, giving the Democratic Party $920,000 in 2015-2016. PG&E spent almost $19 million in the first half of 2026, but most of that went into a campaign to derail billionaire Tom Steyer’s gubernatorial campaign. PG&E has given nothing to the state Democratic Party in 2026.

Organized labor remains the California Democratic Party’s largest source of money. But the state party also draws significant sums from business interests.

The California Real Estate PAC was the state Democratic Party’s largest donor the first half of in 2026, at $875,000, followed by Airbnb, at $675,000, the American Beverage Assn., at $650,000, the California Hospitals Association at $600,000, the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation at $580,000, and the California Teachers Association at $525,000.

A few donors who have cozied up to Presidential Trump also gave to the California Democratic Party—once more illustrating that power draws donations.

Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, for one, contributed $125,000 in 2026 and another $125,000 in 2025 to the California Democratic Party, though Bezos’ donations here don’t rival the $1 million he gave to Trump’s inaugural committee, or the estimated $75 million Amazon paid for the rights to and marketing of the Melania Trump movie. Amazon also gave $125,000 to the Republican legislative leaders campaign committee.

No office holder can match the power of a president. With Trump as president and Republicans controlling Congress, the Republican National Committee had $128 million in the bank at the end of June. As of June 30, the struggling Democratic National Committee reported having $30.5 million cash on hand, only $5 million more than its California counterpart.

GOP spokesman Shupe’s email added:

“We are aware California Republicans face an uphill battle, but our advantage is that we are not trapped defending failed Democratic policies that are driving up the cost of living and declining the quality of life of every Californian.

“We are building the aggressive, responsible operation it will take to fight in the general election and win. We are determined to hold Democrats accountable for their failed policies so we can turn this state around and make it a place everyone can be proud of.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated from earlier versions to include more detail about Mr. Hilton’s campaign fundraising.