Oil industry spending and a conspiracy theory shake up 5th district senate race
Committees that support candidates with independent expenditures got into act in the 5th State Senate District primary this month. And some have suggested backroom shenanigans have tainted the election process of choosing a successor for Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton, who is terming out this year.
A mailer sent to district residents last week painted Modesto Councilman Mani Grewal as “Big Oil’s” pick for the California Senate. It drew attention to more than $500,000 in spending to promote Grewal’s senate campaign by the Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class Research Committee, a group supported by major companies that produce oil and natural gas.
Paying for the mailer was the Opportunity PAC, a coalition that gets funding from the California Teachers Association and health care and public employee unions.
Grewal, a pro-business moderate Democrat, said he did not solicit support from the energy industry coalition, which is independently supporting his senate bid with purchases of television and radio spots. A consultant for his chief opponent, Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes-Eggman of Stockton, a progressive Democrat, said Friday her campaign had nothing to do with the Opportunity PAC mailer telling voters who is backing Grewal.
The mailer contends the large oil corporations want to see a rollback of California laws designed to reduce carbon emissions and protect the public against climate change. “You can bet Big Oil corporations are counting on (Grewal’s) vote in the state Senate,” it says.
Grewal counters his campaign is about supporting working families in the Northern San Joaquin Valley and advancing policies as a different kind of Democrat.
According to a campaign disclosure, the Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class spent almost $316,000 last month on television, radio and digital advertising, research and consulting to promote Grewal’s senate campaign. Additional spending was anticipated.
The Modesto councilman has also directly received donations from petroleum and gas companies, including $4,700 from Chevron, $4,700 from California Resources Corp., $4,400 from Valero, $2,000 from Marathon Petroleum and $1,000 checks from other energy sources.
The 5th District includes all of San Joaquin County and only part of Stanislaus, so Grewal is hoping for a second-place finish in the March 3 open primary and then a run-off with Eggman in November. The three other names on the March 3 ballot are Republicans: Stockton Councilman Jesus Andrade, Stockton school board member Kathleen Garcia and former Modesto Mayor Jim Ridenour.
With those three splitting up Republican votes, it improves Grewal’s chances March 3. The top two vote-getters advance regardless of party affiliation.
Grewal stressed there is separation between his own campaign and the support from the oil and gas coalition. Because he never has served in the Legislature, Grewal said, companies like Chevron and Valero can’t know where he stands on the state’s climate change policies.
“I have not been in a position of making those decisions,” Grewal said. “For me, my concerns are aligned with the constituents and the hardworking families of the 5th Senate District.”
Grewal made it clear that, if he’s elected, he will pay attention to new proposals for taxes and regulations that are intended to achieve the goals of California’s climate plan. As an example, he opposes the idea of charging motorists an extra tax based on vehicle mileage.
“With Stockton and Modesto ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation for miles traveled to work, I don’t think that is something I would support,” Grewal said. “People should not have to pay taxes to get to work.”
Andrew Acosta, a consultant for Eggman’s campaign, said she has run a positive campaign highlighting her service and record of accomplishments. Eggman is terming out after representing the 13th Assembly District.
“Mani Grewal has run a negative (campaign) since day one,” Acosta wrote in an email. “Now, special interest Super PACs are spending $100,000s to prop up his flailing campaign.”
Eggman’s camp said real estate interests are also making expenditures to attack her campaign for the Senate.
Under California’s election laws, independent expenditure committees may spend $1,000 or more on election races or ballot measures but not in consultation with candidates or ballot measure committees.
The 5th Senate District, including San Joaquin County, part of Stanislaus County and a small part of Sacramento County, is not too far from the East Bay Area’s oil refineries.
Last year, the Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class spent heavily to support Democrat Lena Gonzalez of Long Beach, who was elected to the state Senate in the 33rd District. Like Grewal, Gonzalez said publicly she did not seek out the coalition’s support; it was thought the energy industry chose a candidate near crude oil terminals that employ people and pay taxes in Southern California.
“Top two” system
Last month, an article posted by the nonprofit news service Cal Matters advanced a theory for the field of GOP candidates in the 5th District race, which seems to hurt Andrade’s chances in the March 3 primary. A campaign consultant for Andrade suggested that Garcia, a former Democrat, and Ridenour were plants to game the state’s “top two” primary system and help Grewal.
Eggman can seek votes from almost 137,000 registered Democrats in San Joaquin County, three times the number in Stanislaus. Grewal has a better chance of finishing second if votes from the district’s 140,000 registered Republicans are spread among Andrade, Ridenour and Garcia.
Ridenour said Friday he had not read the Cal Matters piece and did not enter the race to assist Grewal. “I am not involved in any of that,” the former mayor said. “I haven’t talked to Mani in a long time. I want my voice heard and I want the citizens’ voice to be heard. And I hope to win.”
Grewal repeated what he told Cal Matters — that the first time he met Garcia was at The Modesto Bee editorial board meeting last month. Grewal said he had hoped for an endorsement from Ridenour. The former mayor did not participate in The Bee’s sit-down with the candidates.
The players in this conspiracy theory include Stockton attorney Allen Sawyer, who suggested Garcia run as a Republican, and Modesto rancher Bill Lyons, who was appointed as Gov. Gavin Newsom’s agricultural liaison in the Central Valley.
The plot seems to thicken if the delta tunnels are considered. Eggman, on behalf of constituents, led opposition to defeat former Gov. Jerry Brown’s delta tunnels project and will likely oppose Newsom’s single-tunnel proposal. Does someone want her out of the picture?
Lyons has given almost $2,000 to Grewal’s senate campaign, and donations from the Lyons family and its businesses to help Grewal run for local and state office have totaled almost $27,000 since 2017, Cal Matters reported.
Four businesses associated with Lyons donated a total of $4,000 to Ridenour’s senate campaign in late December. Sawyer last year gave $3,000 to support the Grewal’s race for senate.
This story was originally published February 9, 2020 at 10:40 AM.
