Doesn't want any more of your money

'You can stop donating now': Newsom doesn't want any more of your money

By Lester Black

Few things are more guaranteed in life than death, taxes and politicians asking for more donations. But in California’s fight over Proposition 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom has pulled an unprecedented move: He’s asking people to stop giving money.

“You can stop donating now,” Newsom wrote in an email to supporters Monday. He further explained in a video posted to X on Tuesday that his campaign has hit its fundraising goals after receiving $38 million from 1.2 million donors. “Enough,” Newsom said in the video, “Thank you, I never thought I’d ever say that. We’ve raised enough money to win this campaign.”

The governor is projecting supreme confidence with just a week before voters decide on Proposition 50, which would redraw California’s congressional districts along partisan lines in an attempt to elect more Democrats. Newsom has championed the gerrymandering measure after states like Texas have redrawn their maps to benefit Republicans. 

Public opinion polling has found that a majority of voters support the redistricting initiative, and Newsom’s campaign has built a big advantage in fundraising. The Democratic side has raised nearly $100 million since the campaign started in July, but Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the former majority leader and Bakersfield Republican, has raised only $11 million of his goal to bring in $100 million to fight Newsom’s proposal. The majority of opposition funding has come from Charles Munger Jr., a Palo Alto scientist and son of billionaire Charles Munger. The younger Munger has given $30 million to fight Prop. 50. 

The New York Times called Newsom’s directive to stop fundraising “highly unorthodox,” while Republican strategist Matt Gorman told the paper it was “braggadocious” and amounted to Newsom “calling his shot more than a week out.” The governor defended his move by saying in the social media video that while the fundraising had ended, the fight had not. 

“This election is not over, so let’s do everything in our power to focus on getting out the vote. But you stepped up and you stepped in,” Newsom said. “Mad respect to all of you.”