After Silicon Valley spending spree, more moderate Democrats are heading to the Capitol

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Set us as preferred In April, Ada Briceño felt confident she’d win one of the top two spots in the Assembly District 67 primary race to represent parts of Orange and L.A.counties.

The labor leader and former hotel worker had endorsements from the California Democratic Party, the Working Families Party and Vermont Sen.Bernie Sanders.

Internal polling showed she was solidly ahead of her closest Democratic competitor, Cerritos City Councilmember Mark Pulido.Then the money started flowing.Between April 9 and the June 2 primary, special interests groups spent $9.2 million attacking Briceño and raising Pulido’s profile, with the majority coming from Airbnb, Meta, Google and cryptocurrency billionaire Chris Larsen.Pulido’s campaign spent another $600,000.

Two regional cardrooms spent $500,000 to support Briceño, but her campaign couldn’t compete.“He made it past the primary because of the $10 million that was spent against me.Absolutely,” Briceño said of Pulido.

Pulido’s campaign did not respond to a direct message on social media or an emailed request for comment.Pulido is part of a wave of at least nine business-backed Democrats who will be going to the Capitol after Silicon Valley companies and investors spent at least $50 million on races, much of it to help moderates triumph over more progressive, union-backed opponents.The nation’s blue wave extended to kicking several Republican incumbents out of their statehouse seats.

But the backlash against billionaire spending did not extend to legislative races in California, despite the efforts of candidates and critics of tech spending to point it out.Grow California, a new independent expenditure committee principally funded by Larsen and venture capitalist Tim Draper, and California Leads, funded mostly by Meta and Google, spent $24 million and $17 million res...