https://www.siliconvalley.com/2022/09/20/49ers-real-estate-pour-money-into-santa-clara-elections/

With less than two months until Election Day, the San Francisco 49ers have already spent a stunning $1.2 million on Santa Clara City Council races, while real estate interests are stepping up to defend one of the team’s largest critics — Mayor Lisa Gillmor — in her re-election bid.

In 2022, the 49ers have proven once again that they’re the big spenders in Santa Clara City politics, having formed so-called independent expenditure committees to back Councilmember Anthony Becker’s mayoral campaign and councilmembers Karen Hardy and Raj Chahal’s re-elections. Two years ago, the team’s owner, Jed York, poured $3 million into a political action committee to help elect Vice Mayor Suds Jain and council members Kevin Park and Becker.