Story perspectives

Steyer Drops $215 M, Fails Primary Amid Vote-Buying Claims

6/11/2026

Left

Steyer’s Vote-Buying

Steyer’s ads saturated sitcoms, streaming services and other media, leading many Californians to view his campaign as vote-buying.
Tom Steyer spent $215 million of his own money on a California gubernatorial race and did not advance past the primary.
Voters called out the irony of a billionaire urging higher taxes while self-funding his race.
Progressive leader Katie Porter said Steyer’s fossil-fuel profits undercut his climate-action credibility.

Right

Steyer's Failed Campaign

Tom Steyer’s $215 million self-funded anti-corporate campaign became the least successful self-funded bid in modern U.S. politics.
Former Fox News host Steve Hilton will face Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in California’s November gubernatorial election.
Steyer blamed $55 million corporate spending by Chevron, PG&E and Meta for preserving the status quo.
The concession called for ICE abolition, higher taxes on the wealthy, and universal healthcare.

History

Historical Context

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, billionaire Michael Bloomberg left the Democratic Party, ran as a Republican, and spent a record $74 million of his own money to win the mayoral race with 50.3 % of the vote, aided by Rudy Giuliani’s endorsement. The victory broke the city’s two-term limit tradition, prompting a 2008 council vote that later extended term limits for a third term.

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Steyer’s Vote-Buying

Steyer’s ads saturated sitcoms, streaming services and other media, leading many Californians to view his campaign as vote-buying.
Tom Steyer spent $215 million of his own money on a California gubernatorial race and did not advance past the primary.
Voters called out the irony of a billionaire urging higher taxes while self-funding his race.
Progressive leader Katie Porter said Steyer’s fossil-fuel profits undercut his climate-action credibility.

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