Founder and co-CEO of Netflix Reed Hastings is contributing $3 million to help California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom fight the recall effort that has been underway for one year with an official election expected this fall.
The large Silicon Valley gift was revealed through a state filing released Thursday, according to Politico, and makes Hastings the largest donor to Newsom’s recall campaign.
There is no limit on the amount of funds the governor can raise under California law because he is not considered a candidate and rather a ballot issue.
Meanwhile, other gubernatorial candidates are subject to campaign limits of $32,400 per election in their direct accounts.
Other sources are also backing the governor including the Democratic Governors Association, which donated $500,000 last week, and California’s nurses union, which donated $400,000 on Thursday.
Newsom’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic resulted a petition drive to get a recall vote put the issue on a ballot, likely as soon as November.
Among the GOP candidates committed or poised to commit to challenging Newsom are former Olympian to reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and businessman John Cox. Each will almost certainly have to campaign with much lower funds than Newsom, without the support from the tech giants.
