Gas-tax repeal made California ballot because of GOP. Then GOP walked away

Carl DeMaio, who is leading the Proposition 6 campaign, to repeal a recent gas tax increase, discusses a ballot measure he is proposing to provide money for road repairs and eliminate high-speed rail on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. The 2020 initiative would change the state constitution to require that revenue from existing gas taxes be spent only for road and bridge work. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) less Carl DeMaio, who is leading the Proposition 6 campaign, to repeal a recent gas tax increase, discusses a ballot measure he is proposing to provide money for road repairs and eliminate high-speed rail on ... more Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press Image 1 of / 30 Caption Close Gas-tax repeal made California ballot because of GOP. Then GOP walked away 1 / 30 Back to Gallery

Republican leaders who pumped more than $1 million into the effort to get a gas tax repeal measure on the November ballot have closed their wallets, leaving the Proposition 6 campaign underfunded and falling behind in the polls.

“We’ve known all along that the fall campaign was going to be a grassroots effort,” said Carl DeMaio, the conservative San Diego talk-show host behind the repeal effort. “It’s David versus Goliath, no doubt about it.”

Goliath, however, is coming up big in this fight. Opponents of rolling back last year’s 12-cent-a-gallon gas-tax increase, the centerpiece of a $5.2 billion-a-year road repair effort, have far more money to buy ads, pack mailboxes and get out the vote as mail balloting starts Monday.

Campaign finance statements released last week show that DeMaio’s group, Reform California — Yes on 6, has raised $635,000 since June 30 and had $1.3 million in the bank. A group run by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association had $33,000 cash on hand, while the group Yes on Prop. 6, Repeal the Gas Tax reported $83,000.

Those numbers pale in comparison to the anti-repeal effort, which reported raising $18 million since midyear and another $1 million in the past two-plus weeks. Prop. 6 opponents had $19.5 million cash on hand.

A poll taken in September by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that 52 percent of likely voters opposed the ballot measure, with 39 percent in favor.

The poll numbers and dollar figures delight opponents of the repeal, which include building trade unions, local government groups and business associations.

“It’s clear that support for Prop. 6 is waning, both in fundraising and with the voters,” said Robbie Hunter, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, a labor group that has given $2 million to oppose the initiative. “No elected official should want to be left explaining to voters why they’re putting public safety at risk by advocating for the destruction of our roads and bridges.”

But for plenty of GOP leaders, that early money may already have served its purpose. By getting the repeal effort on the ballot, Republican candidates can use the initiative as a campaign talking point and a goad to urge angry Republicans and conservative-leaning independents to the polls — without having to expend resources to actually pass it.

“California families living paycheck to paycheck will hold Democrats accountable for this regressive tax on the poor,” Jack Pandol, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said last November as the repeal effort was getting under way.

Notable Prop. 6 contributions YES California Republican Party, $465,000 Kevin McCarthy for Congress, $300,000 John Cox for Governor, $250,000 Jarvis Taxpayers Association, $250,000 Ken Calvert for Congress, $175,000 Mimi Walters for Congress, $135,303 Devin Nunes for Congress, $100,000 Paul Ryan for Congress, $50,000 Steve Scalise for Congress, $25,000 NO Laborers Union, $4.4 million California Alliance for Jobs, $3 million Carpenters Union, $2 million State Building and Construction Trades Council, $2 million California Partnership for Jobs, $1 million League of California Cities, $750,000 California State Association of Counties, $250,000 Source: California Secretary of State

John Cox, the Republican candidate for governor, was a leader of the gas-tax repeal effort and put $250,000 of campaign funds into the repeal effort last year. He mentions the gas tax at almost every campaign stop.

He donated to the campaign again in June — but this time, he gave just $2,500. Even that made him one of the handful of big-name Republicans to put anything into the repeal effort in recent months.

Before that, though, plenty of cash was flowing from Republicans both inside and outside California.

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin gave $50,000. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, another GOP leader, gave $25,000.

Closer to home, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, the No. 2 Republican in the House, gave $300,000, and GOP Rep. Ken Calvert of Corona (Riverside County) came up with $175,000. Two Republicans targeted by Democrats in November, Orange County Rep. Mimi Walters and Rep. Devin Nunes of Tulare, contributed $135,303 and $100,000, respectively. Almost all that money arrived before June.

Before the repeal initiative was on the ballot, the state Republican Party jumped in with $465,000.

“The California (congressional) delegation asked us if we would help out,” said Matt Fleming, a spokesman for the state GOP. “Knowing how important this measure was ... we were happy to help get it qualified.”

But since Prop. 6 made the ballot in late June, that help has virtually disappeared. The last party contribution listed was July 17 — for $504.63.

“We are still very interested in repealing the gas tax,” Fleming said. “It’s just that at this point, all our discretionary resources are focused on electing Republicans.”

As for the Cox campaign, senior strategist Wayne Johnson said, “The special interests are pouring tens of millions into the effort to stop Proposition 6. We will not, nor do we need to match them in spending, for while they have millions of dollars, we have millions of voters who have simply had enough of the Sacramento politicians.”

While the optimism is welcome, it won’t pay for the statewide advertising campaign needed to turn the tide now running against the gas-tax repeal.

The disappearance of GOP money wasn’t a surprise, DeMaio said. He said the early party money was always going to be used to collect the 585,407 valid signatures needed to get the initiative on the ballot, and the only commitment by Republicans was to qualify the initiative.

With money tight, DeMaio has been forced to run what he called a low-budget “ninja” campaign, picking spots where his campaign can get the most exposure for the least cash.

“We are outgunned,” he said. “We’re doing a lot on social media, a lot with volunteers.”

The repeal effort has some victories. In June, voters recalled Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman of Fullerton (Orange County), arguing that his 2017 vote to approve the gas-tax increase betrayed his conservative district.

In Walters’ Orange County seat, which polls show as a toss-up in November, Democrat Katie Porter has come out in favor of repealing the gas-tax increase, saying in a campaign ad, “I oppose higher gas taxes, and I won’t be afraid to take on leaders of both political parties.”

DeMaio and other repeal supporters called this week for a federal investigation into what he said were illegal efforts by local government agencies to use public money to fight the repeal effort.

“There is absolutely no gray area here — state and local government agencies are caught in blatant violation of California law that prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for campaign activities or advocacy,” he said in a statement Wednesday.

Opponents deny wrongdoing.

DeMaio said he’s still confident voters will pass his initiative. The flood of anti-repeal advertising could even help his cash-strapped campaign, he suggested.

With the amount of money his opponents will be spending, DeMaio said, “at least they’ll be making sure everyone knows Prop. 6 is about the gas-tax repeal.”

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth