Brin Backs Bipartisan Candidates in CA Governor Race

0:00On March 10th, Google co-founder Sergei Brenn is making waves in California's governor raised by donating to candidates from both major parties. He recently gave $39,200 to Republican Steve Hilton, a Fox News contributor, and $1 million to Anne, independent committee backing Democrat, Matt Mahan, San Jose's mayor. This hedging strategy comes just months after Brenn shifted his primary residence from California to Nevada, near Lake Tahoe. Both Hilton and Mahan stand against the proposed wealth tax that needs more signatures for the November ballot. Brenn is also fighting the tax on a larger scale, with a $20 million donation to building a better California, a pro-business group spending heavily to block it. The race to replace Governor Gavin Newsom features eight Democrats and two Republicans, where California's rules and the top two primary finishers to. The general election, no matter their party. Early polling from February shows Hilton ahead at 17 percent, trail closely by Eric Swalwell

1:05and Chad Bianco at 14 percent each. Other Silicon Valley players, like Joe Lonsdale and Chris Larson, are splitting support similarly between rivals. As tech money floods in the mid-debates on taxes and regulations, this unpredictable contest could shake up California's leadership after more than a decade without a Republican governor.