Union-backed groups spent $5.9 million against Whitman
Capitol Alert
August 2, 2010
Three union-backed groups targeting Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman have spent a total of $5.9 million, nearly 10 times what Whitman's Democratic rival Jerry Brown has spent.
The heavy hitter among the three was California Working Families, an independent expenditure committee backed by unions representing firefighters, teachers and others.
The group spent $4.2 million this year through June 30 largely on TV ads in Southern California and Sacramento and had $2.1 million in reserves. The California State Council of Service Employees – the state branch of the Service Employees International Union – put in $3.15 million of that sum.
Coming in second, Working Californians received $1.6 million in contributions this year through June 30 and had spent $1.2 million of it. The group, backed by the State Council of Service Employees and unions representing electrical workers, debuted a Spanish-language TV ad last week criticizing Whitman.
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