FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

May 22, 2026
www.elibeckman.com 
info@elibeckman.com 
(415) 737-5020

Corte Madera, CA - Special interest money is now pouring into the election to succeed Damon Connolly, who represents District 12 in the State Assembly. After months of honest debate, free from outside spending, this late turn in the race poses difficult questions for Marin and Sonoma voters about which campaign truly reflects our local voices and values. 

Two major Trump donors, crypto billionaires Chris Larsen and Tim Draper, are now supporting Eric Lucan through their dark money group “Grow California,” launching ads May 21st. Larsen personally contributed over $10 million to the committee supporting Lucan, after donating $5 million to Trump. At the same time, special interests have collectively spent over $600,000 on negative ads — some with clear racial undertones — attacking candidate Jackie Elward. 

2-term Corte Madera Mayor and lifelong Democrat Eli Beckman issued the following statement: 

"I’ve lived here my entire life, and I know that a flood of special interest money trying to buy our local Assembly seat is not who we are. Crypto billionaires spending nearly a million dollars to prop up their chosen candidate in the race — this is exactly how a broken status quo perpetuates itself. 

Deep-pocketed interests are trying to silence progressive voices, while boosting a politician they trust to advance their agenda. It’s an absurd reflection of how warped our political system has become. 

My message is simple: here in the North Bay, we reject special interests meddling in our elections. We respect our colleagues in public service, even when we disagree. And when we see these kinds of vile attacks on our right to choose our own leaders, we call them out. 

The outside money pouring into this race now threatens to dwarf local voices, and if he wins, Eric Lucan will owe his success to these Trump donors, crypto billionaires, and corporate interests.

I’m offering voters something different. I’m not beholden to special interests because I've made a different choice: every dollar I’ve spent in this race comes from people who want real change. I’ll never owe Sacramento insiders or crypto power brokers a thing. I'll owe everything to the people here — my home, where I grew up — and that's exactly who I'll serve." 

Beckman is proudly endorsed by the CA Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, Equality California, Climate Action California, and State Treasurer Fiona Ma; legislators including Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair Rick Zbur and Assembly Majority Whip Mark Gonzalez; and hundreds of Marin and Sonoma’s local elected officials and community leaders. 

Learn more: www.EliBeckman.com

ABOUT ELI BECKMAN

Eli is a lifelong resident of the 12th Assembly District. He is a product of the district’s public schools, and attended Cal Poly’s school of architecture. He is a small business owner, and founder and CEO of HAUS+, a sustainable prefab ADU company. In 2018, Eli was elected to the Corte Madera Town Council, becoming the youngest elected official in Marin while earning the most votes in Corte Madera history, and in 2020, he became Corte Madera’s youngest and first openly LGBT mayor. When he’s not working, Eli’s favorite activities are the ones that celebrate our home’s natural beauty and history: exploring the tidepools of the Pacific coast, hiking the Mt. Tamalpais watershed, or trekking the golden hills of Sonoma. 

California's 12th Assembly District includes all of Marin County, including the cities of San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, Larkspur, San Anselmo, Corte Madera, Tiburon, Fairfax, Sausalito, Ross, and Belvedere, and the Sonoma County cities of Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, and Cotati. 

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