Schwarzenegger Returns to TV to Fight for Independent Redistricting in California
Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is spearheading a new campaign against Proposition 50, a November ballot measure that would shift control of California’s congressional district drawing process from an independent commission to partisan lawmakers. A new ad featuring Schwarzenegger will air statewide, funded by a committee planning to spend $1 million daily.
The ad frames Proposition 50 as a step backward for democracy, arguing it prioritizes the interests of politicians over voters. “That’s what they want to do is take us backwards,” Schwarzenegger states in the ad, filmed during a recent speaking engagement at USC. “This is why it is vital for you to vote no on Proposition 50… Democracy – we’ve got to protect it,and we’ve got to go and fight for it.”
Redistricting, the process of redrawing congressional boundaries after each census to reflect population changes, has gained heightened attention this year due to its potential impact on the closely divided Congress. Proposition 50 comes after former President Trump encouraged Republican-led states to redraw their districts to favor his party. California Democrats, led by Governor Gavin Newsom, responded by placing the measure on the November ballot, a move critics argue would likely increase the number of Democratic representatives.
schwarzenegger, a long-time advocate for political reform, is not officially affiliated with any Proposition 50 campaign but continues to champion independent redistricting through his work at the USC Schwarzenegger Institute.
The effort to oppose Proposition 50 is largely funded by Charles Munger Jr., a major Republican donor who previously supported the ballot measures that established California’s independent redistricting commission. Munger has contributed $30 million to the opposition campaign, while another opposing group has raised over $5 million. In contrast, the primary group supporting Proposition 50, led by Newsom, has raised more than $54 million, based on currently available disclosures. More detailed fundraising reports are due to be filed with the state on Thursday.
