Which state Senate, Assembly candidates are best at raising funds? Here’s the top 10

Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, who has represented District 27 since 2022, will head into Tuesday’s primary election with a hefty warchest fueled by more than 800 contributors.

In fact, only Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has raised more than Soria’s $1,890,144, according to data from the California Secretary of State. Rivas has banked $2.7 million.

Both have been outraised by fellow Democrat Yvonne Yui, the Monterey Park City Councilmember making a bid in the open state Senate District 25. Yui has raised $3.2 million, but $2.9 million of that has come from her pocketbook.

The financial management company owner spent $6 million in an unsuccessful bid two years ago for state controller.

Soria’s fundraising ranks third overall among candidates for the 80 Assembly and 20 state Senate seats.

The prodigious fundraising is not new for the 41-year-old Soria. Two years ago, when she squeezed past Republican Mark Pazin by less than 3 percentage points, Soria raised $3.7 million. Pazin, a retired Merced County sheriff, raised $1.3 million.

This year, however, Soria is not expected to face a well-funded challenger. Republican Joanna García Rose, an auditor, has raised $49,000. She is endorsed by 14 Republican office-holders.

Soria’s contributors range from the California Democratic Party, which has pumped more than $132,000 into her campaign, to fellow Democrats. Her contributions also come from PACs representing firefighters, state workers, and the oil industry.

The state Democratic Party has been more generous than its Republicain counterpart. The party, according to the state Secretary of State, has given out more than $1.1 million to candidates in 2023. Meanwhile, the GOP has contributed $570,000.

Top 10 Assembly candidates ranked by fundraising

▪ *Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, $2.7 million

▪ *Esmeralda Soria, D-Fresno, $1.9 million

▪ *Blanca Rubio, D-San Gabriel Valley, $1.4 million

▪ *Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, $1.3 million

▪ *Minority Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, $1.1 million

▪ *Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, $1.1 million

▪ Christy Hostege, D-Palm Springs, $1.1 million

▪ Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, $1 million

▪ *Jasmeet Bains, D-Bakersfield, $972,000

▪ *Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Irvine, $880,000

Top 10 state Senate candidates ranked by fundraising

▪ Yvonne Yiu, D-25th District, $3.2 million

▪ *Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, $1.6 million

▪ Kipp Mueller, D-23rd District, $1.2 million

▪ #Tim Grayson, D-9th District, $1 million

▪ #Carlos Villapudua, D-5th District, $950,000

▪ #Eloise Gómez Reyes, D-29th District, $920,000

▪ Sasha Renée Pérez, D-25th District, $870,000

▪ #Sabrina Cervantes, D-31st District, $836,000

▪ Jesse Arreguín, D-7th District, $805,000

▪ *Dave Cortese, D-15th District, $747,000

*Incumbent

#Currently in the state Assembly

Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand.