Since then-Gov. Jerry Brown stripped the 147-year-old agency of most of its duties in 2017, some former board members have called for abolishing it altogether. The board now oversees county assessors, handles certain property tax appeals and assesses property taxes on some properties that cross county lines. Eliminating it would require voter approval of a constitutional amendment.

Even with its limited role, powerful interest groups and wealthy donors poured more than $3.3 million into campaigns for three sitting state lawmakers seeking Board of Equalization seats this year: Assemblymember Mike Gipson, D-Gardena, state Sen. Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana, and state Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield. The money helped all three outpace most opponents and secure spots on the November ballot.

Political observers say the donations are less about the Board of Equalization’s current power and more about the influence those candidates still hold in Sacramento. The Legislature remains in session through August, and many donors have business before lawmakers now or have benefited from their support in the past.

“It is showing the world that you’re going to be supportive of people who have supported you,” said Mike Gatto, a former Democratic assemblymember from Los Angeles. “It’s a little message to other people that way.”

A review of campaign finance and Digital Democracy records shows much of the money came from unions, professional associations, businesses and individuals with interests before the Legislature, including some tied to bills the lawmakers have supported or authored.

Gipson, whose Assembly district includes Gardena and parts of the South Bay and Harbor Area, raised about $942,000 from major donors, according to the secretary of state. That far exceeded the fundraising of progressive Democrat Samuel Sukaton, who finished second after raising about $32,000. Democrat Yvonne Yiu, who contributed $760,000 of her own money to her campaign and supplemented it with some large donations, did not advance to November.

Labor organizations were Gipson’s largest source of support. Unions representing construction workers, carpenters, police, teachers, public employees and others contributed nearly $300,000 combined.

Gipson has been a traditional labor ally in the Legislature. Digital Democracy records show he voted with the Service Employees International Union and its affiliates 90% of the time. In 2024, an SEIU affiliate representing nurses publicly credited him for carrying legislation aimed at improving hospital worker safety. That union contributed the maximum $19,600 to his Board of Equalization campaign.

This year, Gipson is carrying Assembly Bill 1054, which would create a new end-of-career benefit for California Highway Patrol officers and state firefighters, allowing them to retire with a lump-sum payment in addition to their pensions. The proposal is sponsored by unions representing both groups and is described by supporters as a cost-neutral retention tool, though similar programs approved by cities elsewhere have been found to increase taxpayer costs.

Gipson received nearly $16,000 from the highway patrol union and $10,000 from the California Professional Firefighters PAC for his Board of Equalization campaign. Neither organization responded to requests for comment. Gipson’s campaign spokesperson, Adam Robak, did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and Gipson did not follow up on a request left with his office.

The Board of Equalization has stricter campaign finance rules than the Legislature, a holdover from the era when the board employed more than 4,000 people and collected roughly one-third of California’s tax revenue. Board members must recuse themselves from decisions involving donors whose interests are affected.

Cody Petterson, the board’s chief deputy and a candidate for a seat representing the San Diego area, said the board’s limited authority makes it unlikely that donors are trying to influence future board votes.

“It’s not like there’s interested parties that are like: ‘Oh, I’m gonna support this candidate who’s going to support my cause in the future,’” Petterson said. “That’s not a thing.”

In the Board of Equalization district covering Orange County and San Diego, Umberg transferred about $1.1 million from existing campaign accounts and raised another $598,000 between December 2025 and the June election. Attorneys, law firms and legal advocacy groups were among his notable donors, including groups that regularly appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Umberg chairs.

One of Umberg’s largest donors was John Manly, a prominent attorney representing survivors of childhood sexual abuse, who gave the maximum $19,600.

“No one has been a stronger voice for victims of childhood sexual abuse as he has been as chair of the Judiciary Committee,” Manly said. He also described Umberg as the kind of nonpartisan public official the state needs.

Umberg has backed legislation expanding the ability of survivors to sue over childhood sexual abuse. That includes a 2023 proposal ending the statute of limitations in such cases and another bill that would have expressly allowed lawsuits against county detention facilities. Manly’s firm lobbied for the latter measure. Local government agencies, already facing financial pressure from a 2019 law that revived many sexual abuse claims, opposed both bills.

Umberg will face Republican Denis Bilodeau in November. Bilodeau, president of a taxpayer association, received 45% of the vote and was endorsed by Reform California, the political organization led by San Diego Assemblymember Carl DeMaio. Bilodeau also put $100,000 of his own money into the race. Petterson finished a close third behind Umberg with 18% of the vote and said he spent about $30,000.

In an email, Umberg said campaign contributions have not influenced his decisions as a lawmaker.

“I have never made a legislative decision based on who contributed to my campaign, and I never will,” he said.

Sean McMorris, who manages transparency, ethics and accountability issues for California Common Cause, said the pattern of donations raises reasonable questions for voters.

“It’s a fair assumption for the public to say, well, hey, this is essentially a payoff,” McMorris said. “You voted, you gave me some goodies when you were in office. I’m returning the favor by now giving you the max campaign contribution I can for your campaign.”

The most competitive Board of Equalization race is expected in the inland California district, where Grove will face Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza, a Democrat. Democrats hold about a 4 percentage-point voter registration advantage in the district.

Grove raised nearly $1.8 million from major donors, much of it from Central Valley businesses and business owners. Esparza raised $186,000.

A Republican senator from Bakersfield since 2018, Grove has been a consistent advocate for the Central Valley’s oil and agricultural industries. She supported a deal last year allowing Kern County to approve as many as 2,000 new oil well drilling permits annually.

Since opening her Board of Equalization campaign account in 2023, Grove has received more than $76,000 from oil and gas executives, companies and industry groups, including Signal Hill Petroleum, Valero and California Resources Corporation, according to Digital Democracy.

One donor was Cyrus Mojibi, president of San Joaquin Refining Company, who contributed a total of $17,300, including a December 2025 donation. In February, Grove introduced Senate Bill 1039, which could ease pollutant monitoring requirements for some refineries. Mojibi testified in support of the bill before the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, saying existing rules impose a major cost burden.

Grove also collected more than $120,000 from agricultural companies, executives and trade groups, including more than $10,000 from the American Pistachio Growers PAC and $5,000 from the Wonderful Company. She has pushed for increasing water supplies for Central Valley farmers and has authored legislation intended to streamline permitting for water infrastructure projects.

Duane Dicharia, a spokesperson for Grove, said the senator’s positions are not connected to campaign donations.

“Shannon has spent her career fighting higher taxes, government waste, and bureaucratic overreach, and donors are supporting her because they want that same approach on the Board,” he said in an email.

Not every Board of Equalization race has attracted the same level of spending. Sally Lieber, a former Assembly member who is running in the only district without a current legislator in the race, said she is relieved not to be in a contest dominated by big money. Lieber was elected to the board in 2022 after several years away from public office.

She said sitting legislators have a built-in fundraising advantage, though that advantage comes with constant pressure from party leaders to raise money for candidates and causes.

“I found the constant drive to raise money extremely off-putting and stressful,” Lieber said of her time in the Legislature. “You were just constantly needed to produce.”

Voters may soon weigh in on whether California should create a public financing system for campaigns. A measure expected on the November ballot stems from legislation co-authored last year by Umberg.

McMorris said Umberg worked with California Common Cause on the proposal and said some elected officials are frustrated with the current campaign finance system, even as they participate in it.

“There are politicians, even though they play this game because they feel that they have to, they don’t like it either,” McMorris said. “I think a lot of them would prefer an alternative system where they don’t have to cozy up to special interests in order to be viable.”

Original source: CalMatters

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