Democratic congressional candidate Jay Chen couldn’t begin to match the nearly $2.5 million raised by longtime Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), whom Chen is challenging for what is widely regarded as a safe GOP seat.
But a little-known group called America Shining recently started spending money — more than $610,000 so far — to oppose Royce and help Chen, drawing attention to the race in ways the Chen campaign couldn’t afford. The outlay by the 3-month-old America Shining, whose only donor is Chen’s brother Shaw, is a fraction of the nearly $42 million in independent spending poured into unusually competitive California congressional races this year.