Political consultants are the big winners in race between Whitman and Poizner

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The results are in, and the big winners in this year’s multimillion-dollar race for governor are: political consultants.

According to reports filed Monday with the Secretary of State’s office, Republican candidate Meg Whitman has spent more than $5.2 million on campaign consultants -- and that was just in 2009. Her Republican rival, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, spent $1.5 million on consultants during the same period.

‘Our campaign has a budget designed to win on election day, both in June and November,’ said Whitman spokeswoman Sarah Pompei. ‘And we believe the investments that we’ve made in our campaign have worked very well.’

Overall, Whitman spent $19.5 million in 2009, compared with Poizner’s $3.7 million.

Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, who does not have a challenger for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, spent just $34,000 on political consultants in 2009. Between his two campaign accounts -- one for attorney general and one for his gubernatorial exploratory committee -- Brown spent $278,000.

-- Anthony York in Sacramento