Daily Business Report: October 30, 2026
Money Is Pouring Into San Diego Politics. Where Is It Coming From?
By Lisa Halverstadt, Jake Gotta / KPBS and Michael Wayne / KPBS
Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, money is pouring into American politics at levels never seen before.
Here in San Diego County, millions of dollars have already been spent on races and ballot measures countywide. KPBS and Voice of San Diego pored over campaign finance filings from several different reporting agencies to compile a list of the biggest spenders and donors impacting San Diego regional politics.
Our top spenders – who spent the most on campaigns – were the California Democratic Party, the “Yes on B” campaign for Measure B, and a super PAC called California Leads. The top donors – who contributed the most to campaigns – included the Laborers International Union of North America Local 89, the California Association of Realtors, and Sharp HealthCare.
The Trump Economy Grew 3.4% Last Quarter, the Fastest Pace in a Year
by Katy Grimes | California Globe
The Bureau of Economic Analysis advance estimate released today reports that real Gross Domestic Product increased at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 3.4% in the third quarter of 2026 (July–September), up from 2.2% in Q2 2026.
This was the strongest quarterly pace since Q3 2025, which came in around 4.3–4.4%. It also exceeded most economists’ expectations, typically in the 3.1–3.2% range.
Becerra Open to Mileage Tax After Newsom’s Spending Spree
by Megan Barth | California Globe
In an interview with KCRA’s Ashley Zavala, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra said “everything should be on the table” when asked about a mileage-based tax to maintain California’s roads and bridges.“Our roads aren’t maintained just by some magic wand. We have to pay for it. Do I want to tax people more than necessary? No. Should we pay a gas tax? Yes. Should people who drive electric vehicles, who don’t need gas, pay for those roads to be repaired as well? Absolutely,” Becerra told Zavala. The full interview is available here.
Becerra’s comments come as California officials near the end of a study examining a vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) fee as a potential replacement or supplement to the gas tax. Estimates cited by critics have put a possible per-mile charge in the range of 6 to 9 cents—potentially adding hundreds of dollars annually for typical drivers on top of existing gas taxes, registration fees, and other costs.
