BREAKING: Big Oil Confirms It's Buying Becerra

An oil industry source tells Politico that Becerra's openness to drilling is why they're spending big to elect him 

“Fossil fuel companies have made it clear with their spending that they fear a Steyer governorship more than a Becerra victory”

CALIFORNIA –  With days left in this race, the oil companies raising costs for Californians have made their preferred candidate crystal clear: Xavier Becerra.

Politico today offered a fresh perspective on Big Oil's million-dollar push to elect Becerra and tear down Tom Steyer, citing an oil industry source who confirmed Becerra is "signaling flexibility" on holding the industry accountable. Today, that spending got a fresh six-figure boost, with new oil money added to the pile backing Becerra.

Translation: Becerra is willing to trash California's air, water, and clean energy future, and Big Oil is spending millions to make sure he gets the chance. 

"Big Oil didn't spend millions on Becerra by accident," said Steyer for Governor spokesperson Danni Wang. "They're buying ‘flexibility’ on drilling, and Californians will pay for it at the pump and in the air we breathe. Tom has spent his career fighting and beating these companies to bring costs down – that's exactly why they're trying to stop him."

The Politico piece also quotes Becerra hilariously claiming: "I think I'm a far better environmentalist and champion against the fossil fuel industry than [Steyer]" – a claim California's leading climate advocates don't share, given that the Sierra Club, NRDC Action Fund, and the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund all endorsed Steyer over Becerra.

“It’s particularly rich that Becerra calls himself a champion against the fossil fuel industry while they're the ones bankrolling his campaign,” added Wang. “Big Oil will walk all over Becerra from day one – they're already doing it. Tom has the record to take them on. Becerra has their money.”

Excerpts of the full piece are below. Read the full article here. 

POLITICO: Oil money is taking center stage in the California governor’s race

Oil companies are making a cash splash to back Xavier Becerra in the final stretch of California’s race for governor. And Tom Steyer wants you to know it.

Chevron’s contribution early in the campaign to Steyer’s top primary opponent, Becerra, was already a controversial wedge issue. Then this month, California Resources Corporation, the state’s largest oil and gas producer, contributed $500,000 to an independent committee backing Becerra. Chevron did the same last week.

That gave Steyer, a billionaire climate activist who has pledged not to accept fossil fuel industry cash, a fresh opening to hammer the issue.

In the past week, his campaign has dispatched trucks mounted with billboards describing Becerra as being “fueled by Chevron,” labeled the former Biden administration cabinet secretary as “Big Oil Becerra” in press releases and run a new ad criticizing Becerra for receiving oil money support.

…“I think I’m a far better environmentalist and champion against the fossil fuel industry than [Steyer],” Becerra said.

Many California environmentalists don’t share that conviction, illustrated by the fact that influential green groups including the Sierra Club, NRDC Action Fund and the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund endorsed Steyer over Becerra.

“Becerra’s record is mixed,” Karuna Jaggar, CBD Action Fund’s California political director, said in an interview, adding that she wishes he had more aggressively pursued oil companies during his tenure as attorney general.

That’s a perception that Steyer has been trying to stoke in the final days of the primary campaign.

“The idea that California in 2026 could elect a governor who’s supported by oil companies … seems to me to be hard to believe,” Steyer said Wednesday during a press conference. “Going backwards to the 1950s, and to fossil fuels, and to pollution, and to ignoring the climate crisis, that doesn’t make any sense for the state of California.”

Fossil fuel companies have made it clear with their spending that they fear a Steyer governorship more than a Becerra victory.

One leader from the oil and gas industry, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, highlighted an early-May debate during which the candidates were asked if they would sign a bill to increase oil production in Kern County and the Central Valley.

Steyer said no.

“Versus importing? Yes,” Becerra said.

“I think that’s really kind of the threshold issue for [our] industry,” the source said in an interview. 

…As primary day approaches, Steyer has leveraged his track record of green advocacy and objection to new oil drilling in the state to consolidate support from climate groups. 

###