Print Email Font Resize South Bay Assembly race between Craig Huey, Al Muratsuchi is most costly in California

Quoted in this article in the Daily Breeze.

"No one wants to waste money," said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles who studies money in politics. "They are only going to spend it if they think it's going to affect the race. They are only going to do that in competitive races where it makes a difference."

Contributions to candidates aren't the only funds flowing into the race. Muratsuchi has been helped by so-called independent expenditures - outside groups that advocate for one candidate but are not officially tied to any campaign. A group called Californians for Fiscal Accountability, Dentists, Physicians has spent more than $440,000 in campaign advertising against Huey, records show. The group can spend what it wants so long as it does not coordinate its actions with the Muratsuchi campaign.

Other groups spending on behalf of Muratsuchi included the Asian American Small Business PAC ($11,623) and the CA Statewide Law Enforcement Association IE Committee ($10,089), records show.

No outside groups have spent on Huey's behalf, according to campaign records.

"Basically, these are groups who have made what is in many cases a business judgment that they are willing to spend 100 or 200 thousand or a million dollars, if they think electing their preferred their candidate will get them a million and one," Levinson said.