Eight million dollars. That’s how much Uber and Lyft have spent this year campaigning in Austin. The latest round of finance reports reveal that the two companies contributed $5 million in the last month alone to Ridesharing Works for Austin, the political action committee that has been leading the pro Prop 1 effort. The spending includes an eventual $50,000 payout to former Mayor Lee Leffingwell, who has appeared in numerous advertisements for Ridesharing Works for Austin.
All of this money eclipses anything that has ever been spent on local elections in Austin. The previous record was held by Mayor Steve Adler’s campaign, which spent a little over $1 million in 2014, according to KUT.
The political action committee campaigning against Prop 1 (Our City, Our Safety, Our Choice) raised about $90,000 last month, bringing their total to$100,000 for this election.
