Former Google Executive Lexi Reese Drops Out Of 2024 Senate Race

Former Google Executive Lexi Reese dropped out of the 2024 Senate race on Tuesday, ending a five month long campaign because of a lack of funds going into the final stretch of campaigning before the March primary.

Reese, a former executive at American Express, Google, and Gap, entered the race in June as a Democrat. Funded partially by her own money, Reese focused her campaign on the economy, economic opportunity, the cost of living, and other financial issues.

“Today’s economy isn’t working. Californians are exhausted and stretched thin, said Reese earlier this year. “They’re working harder and more than ever, but everything costs too much. We have more people working than any time in our lives, yet folks are struggling with more widespread financial fragility and income inequality that puts the American Dream out of reach, especially for women and people of color.”

“The failure to adequately address these challenges is why so few people have faith in how Congress is doing its job, and it’s why California needs a different kind of leader representing us in the U.S. Senate.”

During the summer, Reese garnered between 1%-2% of the vote, with her campaign fueled by a few million in campaign funds. However, despite being the 4th most popular Democrat in the race, Reese struggled to move beyond the mark. A UC Berkeley poll in early November still showed her at 1%, while an Emerson poll in mid-November had her at 2%.

Her campaign’s financial situation also struggled, as she had less than $700,000 in cash left at the last SEC filing on September 30th, which was a whopping $31 million behind Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) and $11 million behind Congresswoman Katie Porter. In addition, at the California Democratic Party convention earlier this month, she received only 3 votes for party endorsement, out of a possible 2,322 and had her big speech at the convention continuously interrupted by protestors.

With heavy spending expected for all candidates in the months ahead and Democratic donor all focusing on Schiff, Porter, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Reese announced the end of her campaign on Tuesday.

Reese officially out of 2024 Senate race

“$2 million is just not enough to run a state-wide campaign. Career politicians have institutional, press, and Party support that is very difficult to replicate as an outsider. We need open seats and campaign finance reform so the cost to enter is not insurmountable for most people. My husband and I self-funded $500,000 of our campaign, which is a privilege I recognize most people do not have. It was also not nearly enough.”

“While the financial reality of the Senate run has prompted me to stop competing for this seat, we will continue to focus on this question: What do we want to be when we grow up? As a State, a Nation, and as Human Beings. I got into this race to build a safer world for our kids. I feel stronger than ever that we need to think in a much bigger, bolder way about how we make life liveable.”

While Reese is now out as a candidate, the question of where her support will go has drawn the attention of Schiff, Porter, and Lee. With Republican Steve Garvey now in third place in polling, and within only a few points of beating out Porter to make the November ballot, Reese’s block of support is now seen as critical. For Lee, it would mean a jumpstart to her campaign and finally rebreaking the 10% threshold for the first time since June. For Porter, it would mean another few points of cushion between her and Garvey, as well as nearing Schiff’s level of support. And for Schiff, it would mean returning to an insurmountable lead once again.

“Reese had a real long-shot campaign,” added Roger Armstrong, a Los Angeles-based political advisor and campaign advisor, to the Globe on Tuesday. “She was thinking of Mae Whitman and John Cox and others with primarily business backgrounds who made it past the jungle primaries in the past. But she was up against three very experienced and better known members of Congress. More locally known Democratic candidates, like [LA TV anchorwoman Christina] Pascucci and the rise of GOP candidates in later months did not help her campaign either.”

“But she did always have a percentage point or two of support, even in the face of all of that. She made the radar. Not many candidates could say that.”

New polls on where the Senate candidates stand, both pre and post Reese dropping out, are likely to come out soon.