Two Silicon Valley tycoons who are expected to face off in the 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary had the political cash registers ringing in 2008, according to year-end major campaign donor statements.
Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who earned his fortune in satellite positioning devices for mobile phones, spent $1.7 million last year in positioning himself for a run for governor and seeing to it that termed-out lawmakers didn't get an encore in office.
Meg Whitman, the ex-eBay CEO who became a billionaire helping pack rats sell their stuff, spent $634,000 to help the state Republican Party and stop Proposition 5, a measure that emphasized treatment over incarceration for drug offenders.
Poizner, covering his political possibilities, donated $500,000 to his gubernatorial exploratory committee and another $60,000 to his insurance commissioner committee. He gave $1 million to the successful No on 93 campaign that blocked a bid to revamp California's term limit laws.
Whitman, who hasn't formed a gubernatorial committee, gave $370,000 to the California Republican Party and spent $250,000 for a campaign committee, People Against the Proposition 5 Deception. She also donated $14,400 to help four GOP legislative candidates -- Assemblyman Danny Gilmore, Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, Sen. Tony Strickland and unsuccessful Assembly candidate Jack Sieglock..
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