California GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has shelled out $91 million of her own money so far. Whitman shatters spending record

California Republican gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman has shattered state spending records on her self-funded campaign, shelling out more than $99 million on her neophyte run for office against Democratic rival Jerry Brown.

Whitman, the former eBay chief executive who has been plowing her personal cash into her bid, shelled out $71 million to best state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner in the June 8 primary.


She spent $30 million in the six weeks before June 30, which was when filing period ended. Whitman has about $10 million in cash on hand, but that number is clearly not an accurate picture, since she can pour virtually unlimited resources into her own campaign account.

Brown, whose tight-fisted spending approach has been geared toward the post-Labor Day sprint but has also sparked nail-biting among nervous Democrats who are watching the polls, has $23 million in cash on hand. He's spent a comparative pittance, $450,000, so far.

But one surprising figure - Whitman, who has spent $91 million of her own money, is also trying to raise from outside sources, and took in $3.3 million in the final six-week period that ended June 30.

By comparison, Brown took in slightly more than $2.6 million in the same time frame - a surprising disparity given that self-funded candidates have trouble getting people to kick in to their campaigns.

A poll released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California found the candidates about even among likely voters, with 37 percent backing Brown and 34 percent favoring Whitman. A quarter of respondents were still undecided.

Whitman has spent nearly $10 million on campaign consultants so far, while Brown reported having just four employees on his payroll.

Whitman is on track to outpace New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg for spending records. Bloomberg spent $109 million on his 2009 mayoral race.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to Steve Poizner as California’s Insurance Superintendent. He is the state’s Insurance Commissioner.