Where L.A. mayoral candidates raise the most money
With a little less than a month left until the primary, Los Angeles residents and businesses have contributed at least $4.6 million to mayoral candidates, according to new data released from the Los Angeles Ethics Commission.
Money has played an unprecedented role in this year's race, with nearly $40 million pouring in from contributions and loans, the most of any Los Angeles city mayoral race to date. Billionaire developer Rick Caruso has given his campaign $25 million, more than any other candidate in the race. However, most of the mayoral candidates are relying on money raised through political contributions.
The Times analyzed where donations are coming from, finding patterns in the pockets of support received across the state. The Westside gave the most to the mayoral candidates, with large contributions coming from Brentwood and Pacific Palisades, as well as Beverly Hills — a separate city whose residents will not be voting in the L.A. election.
Residents of affluent areas opened their checkbooks for the race, with more than $280,000 coming in from Brentwood alone, the largest amount of any ZIP Code, The Times' analysis found.
Explore where mayoral candidates are receiving money from
Karen Bass
Joe Buscaino
Rick Caruso
Kevin de León
Mike Feuer
Mel Wilson
Other
Westside shows substantial financial support for mayoral candidates
Recent polls show that 40% of likely voters are still undecided ahead of the June 7 primary. The polls show Rep. Karen Bass and Caruso neck and neck in first place.
Bass' support is wide, reaching nearly every ZIP Code in the city. Her biggest donors are Brentwood residents and businesses, contributing about $84,000. In South L.A., Bass' neighbors in the View Park/Baldwin Hills area contributed about $70,000.
She received more than 5,400 contributions, with an average donation of $550.
Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León has garnered widespread support from nearly every ZIP Code in the city, but has only raised about half the amount that Bass has. On average, however, De León supporters are giving the most, at $880 per donation.
Residents near San Pedro supported their councilman, Joe Buscaino, with the most coming from the 90731 ZIP Code — $64,000.
Contributions to Caruso pale in comparison to what he has given himself. He has received more than $500,000 in contributions, with large support coming from Pacific Palisades and Brentwood.
Former Metro board member Mel Wilson has strong support in areas of the San Fernando Valley such as Chatsworth and Woodland Hills, where he received a little over a quarter of his contributions. Businessman Ramit Varma raised the most money in West Hills, about $12,000. Other candidates, including Craig Greiwe, Gina Viola Peake and Alex Gruenenfelder, also received a total of nearly $180,000 in contributions.
Candidates may lend themselves unlimited amounts of money, but donations from individuals or from political committees are capped at $1,500 each per election cycle. Separate independent expenditure committees — which cannot legally coordinate with the campaigns they are supporting and are not included in these totals — can receive unlimited amounts of money from donors.
Outside of Los Angeles, the largest contributions came from Orange, Ventura and Sacramento counties, totaling more than $470,000. Out-of-state residents, including from Georgia, Illinois and Washington, D.C., have given nearly $740,000. New Yorkers gave $162,000, the majority of which went to Bass.
Bass has received more than $400,000 from out-of-state support, the most of any candidate.
Bass raised the most money from the city, followed by De León and Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer.