Chevron Tries to Buy Influence in California Governor's Race
California's governor's race has been dominated by discussions of climate change and Big Oil. However, one figure may be more influential than any candidate on the debate stage: Chevron, the multinational oil company.
When Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra was asked about Chevron's contributions to his campaign, he replied candidly, 'Chevron, that's the problem with politics. They're not the bad guy. Does everybody here drive an electric vehicle? You need Chevron. I need Chevron... Chevron wants to give me a check, that's, that's their prerogative.'
Progressive billionaire Tom Steyer accused Becerra of doing Big Oil's bidding and urged him to return the contribution.
The state's gas consumption has declined by about 15% from its peak in 2004 due to improved fuel economy and growing adoption of electric vehicles, but Chevron owns two refineries that account for one-third of California's production.