Liberal billionaire Tom Steyer introduced Thursday that he would spend $12 million backing California Democrats’ redistricting push this fall, turning into the newest megadonor to enter the high-stakes contest.
Steyer, who ran for president in 2020, will fund what his staff is asking a “guerilla style” advert marketing campaign, with the primary spot set to run tonight on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” weeks after the hosts’ high-profile conflict with the Trump administration over his on-air rhetoric.
The ad seems aimed toward scary President Donald Trump, mockingly portraying Trump throwing meals at a TV after a hypothetical victory for supporters of the referendum.
“This is bad. Stop the count!” says an actor portraying Trump, as a information broadcast within the background suggests the imagined end result may lead Congress to “investigate him for corruption, and even release the Epstein files.”
Proponents of the redistricting push have framed it as a part of broader resistance to Trump, who pushed Texas and other Republican-led states to redraw their US House maps forward of subsequent yr’s midterms.
California Democrats created a November referendum to institute momentary new US House maps that will give Democrats a higher probability at successful 5 extra seats, the identical variety of seats Texas Republicans drew for the GOP.
Steyer’s help, in the meantime, ought to assist Democrats preserve an general edge on the airwaves because the redistricting marketing campaign enters its last weeks.
According to the newest information from AdImpact, since Sept. 1, proponents of the redistricting referendum have spent about $44 million, whereas opponents have spent about $27 million. Millions extra are being spent on discipline organizing, polling and mailers.
Steyer’s entry additionally helps to offset the contributions of a main megadonor backing the “No,” effort, Charles Munger Jr., son of the famed investor. Munger, who spent greater than a decade as a dominating pressure in California politics earlier than stepping again in 2016, has already spent greater than $30 million to defend the reforms he helped go greater than 15 years in the past.
State Democrats are hoping to persuade voters to permit the get together to quickly override congressional maps drawn by an unbiased fee to create as many as 5 new US House seats for Democrats.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has argued California should “fight fire with fire” after Republicans in Texas and different states redrew their US House maps on the behest of Trump, who’s making an attempt to forestall Democrats from regaining House management in subsequent yr’s midterm elections. If Proposition 50 passes, the state would reimplement unbiased congressional traces in 2031.