A political committee that Service Employees International Union California created to support moderate Republican candidates for the Legislature reported its first expenditure of the 2012 election Wednesday, dropping more than $15,000 on mail pieces opposing Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly's bid for re-election.
Donnelly, a conservative first-term assemblyman known for his vocal opposition to illegal immigration, is facing Republican Bill Jahn, the mayor of Big Bear, and Democrat John Coffey on the June 5 ballot in the 33rd Assembly District.
The mailers were reported in a campaign filing posted on the secretary of state's website.The committee also reported spending about $20,000 on a survey in the safe Republican district.
SEIU California launched the Golden California Committee last year as part of an effort to elect more moderate Republicans to the Legislature. Leaders said the new district lines and top-two primary system allow more opportunities to influence the outcome in conservative districts.
The union says 87,000 of its 700,000 members are registered Republicans.
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Torey Van Oot covers the California Legislature and state politics.
Amy Chance is political editor for The Sacramento Bee.
Dan Smith is Capitol bureau chief for The Sacramento Bee.
Micaela Massimino writes the AM and PM Alerts.
Laurel Rosenhall covers the lobbying community and higher education.
Jim Sanders covers the state Legislature.
David Siders covers the Brown administration.
Dan Walters is a columnist for The Sacramento Bee.
Kevin Yamamura covers the state budget.
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