49ers Spend $2.6M in Santa Clara Elections
The San Francisco 49ers' independent expenditure committees have spent over $2.6 million in 2026 targeting City of Santa Clara candidates.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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The San Francisco 49ers spent over $2.6 million in 2026 through independent expenditure committees backing and opposing candidates in City of Santa Clara elections. Early returns showed mayoral candidate Gary Ferraris, whom the team's PAC supported, in fourth place.
Why it matters
The spending adds to roughly $11.5 million the team has directed toward local politicians since 2020, raising questions about outside money in a city-level contest. Residents of Santa Clara are seeing how a major local employer is shaping who runs their city government.
The 49ers' PAC has spent roughly $11.5 million on local politicians since 2020, including over $2.6 million in 2026 on Santa Clara candidates. In early returns, Kimberley Williams led Yvonne Inciarte 1,021 to 737 votes in a council race the PAC targeted.
The players
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a National Football League franchise whose parent organization has become a significant spender in local Bay Area politics.
Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters
The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters is the county office responsible for conducting elections and publishing early vote returns for the City of Santa Clara.
The details
The team spent money through independent expenditure committees, which made expenditures supporting Gary Ferraris and opposing Kathy Watanabe and David Kertes in the mayoral race. The PAC also supported council candidate Kimberley Williams and opposed Yvonne Inciarte, while Eric Crutchlow led Kyle Madej in Council District 3 without PAC involvement.
Timeline
2020: The 49ers began spending on local politics, a total of roughly $11.5 million through 2026.
2026: The team spent over $2.6 million on Santa Clara candidates.
November 4, 2026: Early election returns were published for Santa Clara races.
Political Context
The 49ers' committees have directed money into City of Santa Clara races rather than statewide contests, a pattern of local influence that critics of outside spending in municipal elections have pointed to. Opponents of such spending argue that concentrated money from a single entity can overshadow individual residents in city-level races.
Santa Clara voters are choosing a mayor and council members in races where outside committee money has shaped the candidate field and public messaging. Residents evaluating these candidates can review the committees' stated positions before final results are certified.
The takeaway
Outside spending by a large local employer can shape city races even when the final vote is still uncounted. Checking who funds a committee and which candidates it targets helps voters weigh the messages they see.
Further reading
Follow more local vote counts and candidate coverage in the Elections section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by San Jose Inside.
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