Governor Newsom Advises Backers of Redistricting Proposal to ‘Stop Donating’

With only a single week to go prior to Californian electorate head to the polling stations to decide on the statewide redistricting proposal, Gavin Newsom issued an surprising message to would-be contributors: hold onto your funds.

“We've achieved our budget goals and garnered the necessary funds so as to pass Prop 50,” Gavin Newsom said in an email. “You can stop donating.”

Financial Milestone

Over the course of 10 weeks, the effort to support Proposition 50, which aims to give Democratic candidates additional seats in the House of Representatives in response to newly enacted politically drawn districts in Texas, raised $thirty-eight million dollars from about 1.2m “minor financial supports,” the governor said.

The initiative also attracted substantial major contributions, comprising nearly $15m from a Democratic Super Pac, $10m from a influence entity supported by the financier George Soros and almost $four million dollars from a teachers' association, among others. Billionaire Tom Steyer, the former Democratic presidential candidate, has spent $12m in backing the measure.

Growing Popularity

Prop 50 has gained support after the state announced the measure in the month of August. During the final weeks, well-known Democratic leaders like Barack Obama have been exhorting the electorate to support the proposition: “The Golden State, the whole nation is counting on you,” the former president stated in a campaign advertisement. “Our democratic system is at stake.”

A recent poll indicated that 62% of probable voters expressed they would vote yes on the measure and a separate survey showed that fifty-seven percent of probable voters in California backed it, and 37% were opposed.

Opposition Struggles

Meanwhile, the movement in opposition to the proposition has weakened in recent weeks, according to media reports. The groups urging the public to endorse Proposition 50 have significantly outraised their adversaries, with a media source portraying the “underfunded” campaign opposing the proposition as going out with a “quiet demise.” The supporting campaign maintains $37 million available while rival campaigns have merely $2.3 million.

Wealthy donor Munger Jr, who was labeled as the leading supporter of the initiative opposing the measure, has significantly slowed financial support to the initiative. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the former House speaker, had pledged to collect $100m to counter Prop 50, but has raised just $eleven million dollars.

Calculated Step

With backing of the initiative high and substantial funds available, his campaign team in the past week suggested he could halt minor financial supports in the final days of the initiative. “I'm in favor,” the governor responded.

“Currently, the priority is executing the strategy,” Governor Newsom wrote in the email declaring that supporters could halt financial support. “Assuming we accomplish this, we’re going to win.”

The supporting effort will solely issue emails with updates on the measure or to solicit assistance for additional states “seeking to prevent GOP mid-decade reapportionment initiatives,” Gavin Newsom said.