The Mike Johnson–aligned Congressional Leadership Fund’s new donation deepens national Republican investment in California’s high-stakes redistricting showdown.
In a dramatic escalation of the political battle over California’s congressional maps, the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF)—a super PAC tied to House Republicans and controlled by House Speaker Mike Johnson—has put $5 million into the “No on Prop. 50” campaign led by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and ex-California GOP chair Jessica Millan Patterson.
That move follows McCarthy’s ambitious call in August for California Republicans to raise $100 million for the anti-Proposition 50 push. As of early October, the No side has raised roughly $77.2 million, while the pro-Proposition 50 campaign has amassed over $131 million.
Federal and state GOP leadership have also chipped in: Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa donated approximately $19,000, while Assemblymember James Gallagher, who has recently resigned as minority leader, gave around $7,800.
However, those sums pale in comparison to the contributions of mega-donors. Charles T. Munger Jr. has so far contributed more than $30 million to the No campaign, making him its dominant backer.
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has emerged as a vocal opponent of Prop. 50, condemning redistricting as “insane” at a USC forum, though he declined to take a full public role in GOP-aligned ad campaigns.
The stage is now set for a bruising November 4 special election, with California voters deciding whether to allow the Legislature to redraw its U.S. House districts—a move that could reshape the balance of power in Congress.
