Outside money pouring into Central Coast congressional race

September 13, 2016

The 24th Congressional District race has generated the sixth largest amount of outside spending among House races nationwide during the current election cycle, according to figures compiled by Washington D.C.-based think tank the Center for Responsive Politics. The District 24 race generated the most outside spending among all congressional races in California.

Outside spending is defined as political expenditures made by individuals or groups independently of candidates’ fundraising committees. Group who spend outside money include political party committees, super PACs and 501(c) organizations.

A total of $1,600,805 has been spent by outside groups on the District 24 race. The Center for Responsive Politics figures were last updated on Monday.

Of that total, $905,732, or the majority of the money, has gone toward supporting Democratic Santa Barbara County Supervisor Salud Carbajal. In the June primary, Carbajal came in first, receiving 31.9 percent of the vote.

Carbajal will face Santa Barbara Republican Justin Fareed in the November general election. Fareed, who received 20.5 percent of the vote in June was the only other candidate in the primary who was major beneficiary of outside money. Outside groups have thus far spent $310,599 on supporting Fareed.

Five groups have already spent six figures on the District 24 race. The leading spender, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has spent $546,080 on supporting Carbajal.

Another Democratic group, the House Majority PAC, has spent $359,118 on supporting Carbajal. The House Majority PAC also spent $7,106 on opposing the candidacy of Republican Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian, who finished third in the primary.

A group backing Fareed known as Citizen SuperPAC has spent $310,599 on supporting the Santa Barbara Republican.

During the primary, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spent a total of $220,000 on opposing Carbajal and Democratic Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider, the fourth place finisher. The NRCC spent $110,000 on opposing each Carbajal and Schneider. The Republican committee has yet to spend money on supporting Fareed.

Lastly, the American Action Network spent $157,035 on opposing Schneider. The American Action Network describes itself as a 501(c) “action tank” that promotes center-right policies.

Each of the outside money groups only partially discloses its donors.