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Hollywood liberals, oil firms unite for Jerry Brown reelection effort

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SACRAMENTO -- What do Wal-Mart, oil companies and some of Hollywood’s most famous liberal donors have in common? They all are backing Gov. Jerry Brown’s reelection bid.

Brown holds a wide fundraising advantage over his potential GOP rivals in the race for governor in 2014, with a wide range of business, labor and a little bit of Hollywood star power ponying up for his reelection effort.

Brown has more than $10 million in the bank, and has raised more than $3.1 million since January 1, according to documents filed on Tuesday with the Secretary of State’s office.

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Among those who have given to Brown’s campaign are director Steven Spielberg and his wife, actress Kate Capshaw, who each maxed out to Brown, writing checks for $27,200. DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and music mogul David Geffen also contributed that same amount each.

Brown’s donors also include major corporations like Wal-Mart and Occidental Petroleum, which have each donated the maximum allowed to the governor’s reelection effort.

Brown has guarded that campaign cash closely, spending just $31,000 in the first six months of the year, the records show. By comparison, Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-Hesperia), who has said he intends to run against Brown, raised $83,000 during the same period, but has spent almost $70,000 since January.

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The numbers seem to confirm what has become conventional wisdom around Sacramento: defeating Brown, should he decide to run as expected, will be a tall order.

“Smart Republicans,” says Jack Pitney, a former national GOP official and a government professor at Claremont McKenna College, “are going to be investing in races other than governor.”

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anthony.york@latimes.com

@anthonyyorklat

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