Hollywood liberals, oil firms unite for Jerry Brown reelection effort

SACRAMENTO -- What do Wal-Mart, oil companies and some of Hollywood’s most famous liberal donors have in common? They all are backing Gov. Jerry Brown’s reelection bid.

Brown holds a wide fundraising advantage over his potential GOP rivals in the race for governor in 2014, with a wide range of business, labor and a little bit of Hollywood star power ponying up for his reelection effort.

Brown has more than $10 million in the bank, and has raised more than $3.1 million since January 1, according to documents filed on Tuesday with the Secretary of State’s office.

Among those who have given to Brown’s campaign are director Steven Spielberg and his wife, actress Kate Capshaw, who each maxed out to Brown, writing checks for $27,200. DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and music mogul David Geffen also contributed that same amount each.

Brown’s donors also include major corporations like Wal-Mart and Occidental Petroleum, which have each donated the maximum allowed to the governor’s reelection effort.

Brown has guarded that campaign cash closely, spending just $31,000 in the first six months of the year, the records show. By comparison, Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-Hesperia), who has said he intends to run against Brown, raised $83,000 during the same period, but has spent almost $70,000 since January.

The numbers seem to confirm what has become conventional wisdom around Sacramento: defeating Brown, should he decide to run as expected, will be a tall order.

“Smart Republicans,� says Jack Pitney, a former national GOP official and a government professor at Claremont McKenna College, “are going to be investing in races other than governor.�

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