Several left-leaning candidates in Los Angeles’ upcoming elections have received significant campaign funding from billionaire-backed political action committees, highlighting a complex dynamic between wealth and progressive political movements in the city.
Marissa Roy, a candidate for Los Angeles City Attorney known for her platform to transform the district attorney’s office into a “public interest law firm,” has benefited from roughly $1.4 million in contributions funneled through billionaire-supported super PACs. Roy’s platform emphasizes civil rights enforcement, corporate accountability, and alternatives to incarceration for individuals struggling with mental health and addiction.
City Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, who advocates for increased corporate taxation and has a strong stance against law enforcement, received about $310,000 from the same donor networks. Westside City Council candidate Faizah Malik, a proponent of the local “mansion tax” on properties sold for more than $5 million, has garnered approximately $200,000 from these groups. Even mayoral candidate Nithya Raman, who publicly states she rejects corporate donations, has had $20,000 directed toward her campaign by billionaire-supported entities.
A central funding source identified is the Smart Justice California Action Fund, which campaigns for criminal justice reforms favoring leniency and diversion programs. The structure of such independent expenditure committees allows donors to circumvent strict individual contribution limits imposed on direct candidate donations, enabling substantial financial backing of progressive candidates.
Key figures behind this financial network include Patty Quillin, wife of Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, who has contributed approximately $1.8 million; Elizabeth Simons, daughter of the late hedge fund magnate Jim Simons, with contributions near $1 million; Kaitlyn Krieger, linked to a tech fortune and active Democratic donor; and Quinn Delaney, heir to the Clif Bar fortune and longtime progressive advocate.
Many donors reside outside Los Angeles and possess significant personal wealth, affording them private security and insulation from potential negative impacts of policies pushing criminal justice reform and corporate taxation. Critics argue this arrangement exposes a contradiction within these candidates’ platforms: while presenting as champions of working-class interests and opponents of concentrated wealth, their campaigns rely heavily on funding from very affluent individuals.
This pattern reflects a broader trend in California politics, where wealthy progressive donors bankroll efforts to reshape criminal justice and local governance. These funding networks played a prominent role in the rise of reform-minded politicians like former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, whose tenure faced public backlash over rising crime rates and dissatisfaction with law enforcement policies before his eventual ousting.
The influx of large-scale contributions by billionaires in local races raises questions about the authenticity of grassroots support for these progressive candidates and highlights ongoing tensions about the influence of concentrated wealth in politics—regardless of ideological affiliation.
While some view this financial backing as a means to advance long-needed reform, others see it as emblematic of the challenges facing urban governance: whose interests are ultimately served when affluent donors shape policy agendas from behind the scenes? As Los Angeles voters prepare for elections that may further entrench progressive control of City Hall, these questions about money, power, and accountability remain central.