Money pours in to aid Prop. 50 efforts

Supporters of ballot measure have raised tens of millions more than opponents.

- BY SEEMA МЕНТА

ALLEN J. SCHABEN Los Angeles Times

GOV. Gavin Newsom is leading an effort to redraw California's congressional districts to aid Democrats.

Supporters of the November ballot measure to reconfigure California's congressional districts - an effort led by Gov. Gavin Newsom to help Democrats win control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year - have far out-raised the opposition campaigns, according to fundraising disclosures filed with the state.

The primary group backing Proposition 50 raked in $77.5 million and spent $28.1 million through Sept. 20, according to a campaign finance report that was filed with the secretary of state's office on Thursday.

The committee has $54.4 million in the bank for the final weeks of the campaign, so Californian should expect a blizzard of television ads, mailers, phone calls and other efforts to sway voters before the Nov. 4 special election.

The two main groups opposing the ballot measure have raised $35.3 million, spent $27.4 million and have roughly $8.8 million in the bank combined, campaign finance reports show.

Despite having an overwhelming financial advantage, the campaign supporting Proposition 50 has tried to portray itself as the underdog in a fight to raise money against opposition campaigns with ties to President Trump and his supporters.