Supporters of the November poll measure to reconfigure California’s congressional districts — an effort led by Gov. Gavin Newsom to assist Democrats win management of the U.S. Home of Representatives subsequent yr — have far out-raised the opposition campaigns, in keeping with fundraising disclosures filed with the state.
The first group backing Proposition 50 raked in $77.5 million and spent $28.1 million via Sept. 20, in keeping with a marketing campaign finance report that was filed with the secretary of state’s workplace on Thursday.
The committee has $54.4 million within the financial institution for the ultimate weeks of the marketing campaign, so Californian ought to count on a blizzard of tv advertisements, mailers, cellphone calls and different efforts to sway voters earlier than the Nov. 4 particular election.
The 2 foremost teams opposing the poll measure have raised $35.3 million, spent $27.4 million and have roughly $8.8 million within the financial institution mixed, marketing campaign finance experiences present.
Regardless of having an amazing monetary benefit, the marketing campaign supporting Proposition 50 has tried to painting itself because the underdog in a battle to boost cash towards opposition campaigns with ties to President Trump and his supporters.
“MAGA donors maintain pouring thousands and thousands into the marketing campaign to cease Prop. 50 within the hopes of pleasing their ‘Expensive Chief,’” mentioned Hannah Milgrom, a spokesperson for the Sure on 50, the Election Rigging Response Act marketing campaign. “We won’t take our foot off the gasoline — Prop. 50 is America’s finest likelihood to cease this reckless and harmful president, and we’ll maintain doing all the things we will to make sure each Californian is aware of the stakes and is able to vote sure on 50 this Nov. 4th.”
A spokesperson for one of many anti-Proposition 50 campaigns, which was sending mailers to voters even earlier than the Democratic-led California Legislature positioned Proposition 50 on the November poll, mentioned their precedence was to assist Californians perceive the inappropriateness of redrawing congressional boundaries that had been created by a voter-approved, state impartial fee.
“We began speaking with voters early concerning the penalties of getting politicians draw their very own strains,” mentioned Amy Thoma, a spokesperson for a coalition that opposes the poll measure. “We’re assured we’ll have the assets essential to proceed via election day.”
A spokesperson for the opposite foremost anti-Proposition 50 group agreed.
“While you’re promoting a lemon, no amount of money can change the style. We’re assured in elevating greater than adequate assets to reveal Prop. 50 for the blatant political energy seize that it’s,” mentioned Ellie Hockenbury, an advisor to the No on 50 – Cease Sacramento’s Energy Seize marketing campaign. Newsom “can’t change the truth that Prop. 50 is nothing greater than a ploy for politicians to take the ability of redistricting away from the voters and cost them for the privilege at a large value to taxpayers.”
The particular election is predicted to value the state and the counties $282 million, in keeping with the secretary of state’s workplace and the state division of finance.
If accredited, Proposition 50 would have a significant influence on California’s 2026 congressional elections, which is able to play a significant function in figuring out whether or not Trump is ready to proceed enacting his agenda within the remaining two years of his tenure. The celebration that wins the White Home steadily loses congressional seats two years later, and Republicans maintain a razor-thin majority within the Home.
After Trump urged GOP-led states, notably Texas, to redraw their congressional districts to extend the variety of Republicans elected to Congress in subsequent yr’s midterm election, Newsom and different California Democrats responded by proposing a counter-effort to spice up the ranks of their celebration within the legislative physique.
California’s congressional districts are drawn as soon as each decade after the U.S. Census by a voter-approved impartial redistricting fee. So Democrats’ proposal to exchange the districts with new boundaries proposed by state lawmakers should be accredited by voters. The state Legislature voted in August to place the measure earlier than voters in a particular election on Nov. 4.
Polling concerning the proposition just isn’t definitive. It’s an off-year election, which implies turnout is more likely to be low and the voters is unpredictable. And comparatively few Californians take note of redistricting, the esoteric strategy of redrawing congressional districts.
There are greater than 30 marketing campaign committees related to Proposition 50 registered with the secretary of state’s workplace, however solely three have raised giant quantities of cash.
Newsom’s pro-Proposition 50 effort has acquired a number of giant donations since its launch, together with $10 million from billionaire financier George Soros, $7.6 million from Home Majority PAC (the Democrats’ congressional political arm) and $4.5 million from numerous Service Workers Worldwide Union teams. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his spouse have contributed $1 million to a separate committee supporting the proposition.
The opposition teams had few small-dollar donors and had been largely funded by two sources — $30 million in loans from Charles Munger Jr., who for years has been a significant Republican donor in California, and a $5-million donation from the Congressional Management Fund, the GOP political arm of Home Republicans.
