In the northwest of Los Angeles, situated between Bel Air and the mountain ridges, houses the most generous donors in the state of California. Brentwood, Zip code 90049, has been a major source of campaign cash for Senate candidates, surpassing all other California zip codes.
As of September 30th, over 170 donors residing in this zip code had collectively donated approximately $300,000 to U.S. Senate candidates. Notably, 97% of this sum, amounting to $283,000, went to three prominent Democrats: U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee of Oakland, Katie Porter of Irvine, and Adam Schiff of Burbank.
These three candidates have proven to be top fundraisers in the race to succeed the late U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, raising a total of $35 million from individuals, political action committees, and other groups by the end of September. Schiff had an impressive $32 million in his campaign account as of October, exceeding all his opponents combined. Porter had $12 million, while Lee had $1.3 million.
The passing of Senator Feinstein in late September has led to two concurrent contests in the upcoming March 5 primary and November 5 general election. One contest is for the final two months of Feinstein’s term, and the other is for a full six-year term. This unique circumstance allows candidate campaigns to collect double the maximum amount from each individual donor, totaling $6,600.
Laphonza Butler, the current officeholder appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom, has announced that she won’t run for re-election next year, making this the first open race for one of California’s U.S. Senate seats since Feinstein’s initial election in 1992. Consequently, it’s expected that this race will be saturated with campaign contributions.
In the 90049 zip code, Adam Schiff stands as the most popular candidate, with his campaign receiving approximately $200,000 this year from local donors, more than he received from any other area in the state. Katie Porter received $76,000 from the same zip code, while Barbara Lee received $6,700.
Greater Los Angeles, the second-most populous urban center in the United States, consistently ranks among the leading metro areas for campaign contributions, as reported by OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan nonprofit research group based in Washington, D.C.
Up to the present, donors in the city of Los Angeles have made contributions amounting to at least $1.6 million, surpassing any other city in the state. Remarkably, among the top 20 California zip codes contributing the most this year, 11 are situated in Los Angeles County.
Adam Schiff has represented northern Los Angeles County since 2001 and has attracted the majority of campaign contributions from his home county, as indicated by itemized data. His campaign received $1.2 million out of the total $1.6 million in contributions from Los Angeles donors. Of the top 10 California zip codes contributing to his campaign, eight are located within Los Angeles County.
