Billionaire Tom Steyer, a Democrat who’s running for governor of California, broke the record for the most money spent on a political campaign this year with an advertising buy worth at least $195 million.However, the campaign spending isn’t entirely translating to poll performance. Steyer has recently made some gains, but he generally remains behind fellow Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican candidate Steve Hilton ahead of next week’s gubernatorial primary.The latest poll in a list curated by the New York Times shows Hilton leading Steyer by 7 points, and a separate poll conducted by Emerson College shows Becerra leading Steyer by 1 point.
Steyer’s campaign released new polling on Wednesday that shows both him and Becerra tied at 19% while Hilton stands at 22%, demonstrating how close the race is in the final days leading up to the June 2 primary.
Steyer is optimistic he can gain ground in the crowded race. More than 50 names appear on the ballot. His campaign touted how the billionaire has been able to gain 4 points since late April despite facing $30 million spent on negative ads against him.
“This poll confirms what we’re hearing on the ground across California: voters are looking for an outsider who will take on the political establishment to lower costs and deliver real change,” campaign manager Heather Hargreaves said. “Xavier Becerra’s momentum has stalled as voters are taking a closer look at his candidacy.”
