Newsom’s Prop 50 Redistricting Effort Most Expensive In State’s History
With less than five weeks until Election Day, California has become the epicenter of a high-stakes political fight that could reshape Congress — and cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in the process.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 50, a ballot measure that would temporarily dismantle California’s independent redistricting commission and hand map-drawing power back to the Democrat-controlled state legislature, has sparked one of the most expensive initiative campaigns in state history.
According to CalMatters, both sides have raised over $215 million as of October 2, with more than $100 million pouring in during September alone — making it the third-costliest ballot measure of the past decade, trailing only the rideshare labor battle of 2020 and the online gambling push of 2022.
Democrats’ Big Money Machine
The pro-Prop 50 campaign — spearheaded by Newsom and national Democratic groups — has hauled in $138 million, with nearly 40% of that total coming from small-dollar donors under $100, heavily promoted through the House Majority PAC, which also chipped in $10 million directly.
Other top donors include:
- $10 million – George Soros’ Fund for Policy Reform
- $6.9 million – MoveOn.org
- $3 million – California Teachers Association
- $3 million – National Education Association
Newsom himself transferred $2.6 million from his 2022 reelection campaign to boost the measure, bringing total contributions to over 68,000 donors, according to state filings.
Critics argue that the governor is using national liberal networks and union muscle to undermine California’s voter-approved redistricting process — a process designed to prevent partisan gerrymandering.
Republicans Push Back
Opponents have raised $77 million, with over 90% of the funds coming from just two major donors: the Congressional Leadership Fund ($42 million) and Charles Munger Jr. ($33 million), a longtime supporter of nonpartisan redistricting.
Other contributors include former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy ($1 million), tech billionaire Thomas Siebel ($1 million), and GOP donor Susan Groff ($50,000).
Outside advocacy groups have also flooded the airwaves, with at least 15 organizations spending more than $540,000 supporting the measure and seven groups spending roughly $570,000 against it.
A Partisan Power Play
Proposition 50 would suspend the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission until 2030, giving Newsom’s allies in the state legislature full control over congressional maps — a move that could lock in Democrat dominance for years.
The measure follows reported pressure from President Donald J. Trump’s administration, which has called on states like Texas and California to ensure fairer and more constitutionally sound districting practices. Newsom, however, has framed the initiative as a “reform,” despite critics labeling it an outright power grab designed to “maximize Democratic House seats” ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Spending on Power, Not Priorities
Adding to the controversy, Newsom vetoed a bipartisan bill last week that would have given California firefighters a long-overdue pay raise, just nine months after record wildfires devastated Los Angeles.
According to the New York Post, Newsom claimed the raise — estimated to cost between $373 million and $609 million in its first year — would put “significant cost pressures” on the state budget.
Yet his administration is reportedly spending nearly $300 million to stage a special election tied to Proposition 50 — a move critics say exposes his skewed priorities.
“Gavin Newsom says California can’t afford to pay its firefighters,” one GOP strategist noted, “but he’ll happily spend hundreds of millions to secure more power for Democrats in Washington.”
As Californians prepare to cast their ballots, the fight over Proposition 50 has become more than a local issue — it’s a referendum on partisan control, accountability, and whether one-party rule in America’s largest state can get any more entrenched.