Michael Bloomberg joined a group of wealthy businessmen supporting the candidacy of former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to become the next governor of California.
The billionaire media mogul donated $1.5 million to the Families & Teachers for Villaraigosa, a political action committee (PAC) that supports charter schools, according to the New York Post.
Bloomberg is a strong supporter of charter schools, which operate independently of the state school system but receive government funding. In fact, during his three terms as New York City mayor, he championed charter schools, which outperformed traditional schools. Public education reform is one of his legacies as a politician.
Aside from Bloomberg, the other wealthy donors helping Villaraigosa win the California gubernatorial race include the following:
• Reed Hasting, the founder and CEO of Netflix—donated $7 million
• Eli Broad, the founder of The Broad Foundation—donated $2.5 million
• Alice Walton, the daughter of Wal-Mart Stores founder Sam Walton—donated $750,000
• Richard Riordan, a former mayor of Los Angeles and owner of Original Pantry Café and Gladstobe Malibu—donated $1 million
• Arthur Rock, a legendary venture capitalist—donated $1 million
• William E. Oberndorf, the chairman of Obendorf Enterprises, LLC—donated $2 million
Villaraigosa wants quality education for every child
Prior to the California governor-candidates forum on Tuesday, Villaraigosa discussed his position on education and other issues.
