CA Redistricting Measure on Track to Be One of the Most Expensive Proposition Fights In State History

"The battle over Gavin Newsom's stick-it-to-Republicans ballot measure, Prop 50, which would temporarily redraw California's congressional district map for the next five years, is heating up in its final month, and it is looking very expensive. The national Republican Party is clearly worried about the potential passage of California's Prop 50, which would redraw California's congressional district maps between now and the next census, and would likely take five House seats away from Republicans, giving them to Democrats in the 2026 midterms."

"You've likely seen ads paid for by the "No on 50" campaign, which use former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and others talking frighteningly about the measure being anti-democratic, even though it is meant to be just a temporary counter-measure to the Republicans equally undemocratic actions. California established a non-partisan, independent commission process for drawing congressional district maps almost two decades ago, and Prop 50 does not cancel that."

"As Cal Matters reports, spending on Prop 50 already made it the third-most expensive ballot-measure campaign in California history as of a week ago. The "No" campaign has raised $77 million, primarily from two donors the Republican Super PAC known as the Congressional Leadership Fund has given $42 million so far, and Charles Munger Jr. has given $33 million to the campaign. (Munger was a major donor to the original ballot measure campaign to establish the independent commission for congressional mapping.)"

Proposition 50 would temporarily redraw California's congressional district map for the 2026 and 2028 elections, superseding the independent commission until the 2030 census. The measure was proposed in response to a Texas Republican-led redistricting that bypassed Democratic input and likely would add five House seats to Republicans. Passage of Prop 50 would likely shift five seats from Republicans to Democrats in the 2026 midterms. The campaign has generated massive spending: the No on 50 campaign raised $77 million, including $42 million from the Congressional Leadership Fund and $33 million from Charles Munger Jr., making it one of California's costliest ballot fights.

Read at sfist.com