Charles Munger, Jr.
| Charles Munger Jr. | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Spirit of Democracy |
| Role: | Chair |
| Location: | Palo Alto, Calif. |
| Affiliation: | Republican |
| Education: | • University of California at Berkeley (Ph.D., atomic physics, 1987) |
| Website: | Official website |
Charles T. Munger Jr. is an experimental physicist and political donor based in California. He is the son of Charles Munger Sr., who was a business partner of Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway.
Munger has been active in ballot measure campaigns, contributing funds to both support and oppose them in California. In 2025, Munger established a political action committee, No on Prop 50 - Protect Voters First, to oppose Proposition 50.[1] Proposition 50 was designed to allow the state to use a new, legislature-drawn congressional district map for 2026 through 2030. Click here to read more about Proposition 50.
Munger contributed to the campaigns for Proposition 11 (2008), which created the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, and Proposition 20 (2010), which transferred congressional redistricting from the legislature to the commission.
Biography
Charles T. Munger Jr. earned a Ph.D. in atomic physics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1987. He was an experimental physicist and worked at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.[2][3][4]
From 2003 to 2007, Munger served on the Curriculum Development and Materials Commission for the California Board of Education. He chaired the Mathematics Subject Matter Committee and Science Subject Matter Committee.[2][3]
As of 2025, Munger was a registered Republican. He served as chairperson of the Santa Clara County Republican Party from 2012 to 2015. He was a member of the Board of Overseers of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University from 2013 to 2017.[5] Form 2013 to 2019, he was chairperson of the California Republican Party's Initiatives Committee. He was also a board member of The Lincoln Club of Northern California.[2][3]
Munger founded the organizations Spirit of Democracy, a political action committee, and Better Voting Methods.[6][7] According to Spirit of Democracy, "Most of the funding for Spirit of Democracy is provided by its chairman, Charles T. Munger Jr., who is responsible for selecting candidates and approving every independent expenditures done on their behalf, including television, radio and direct mail."[6]
Work and activities
2016 Carly Fiorina campaign
Munger donated $100,000 to Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for you and for America, a super PAC that supported Carly Fiorina's (R) 2016 presidential campaign.[8]
2016 California's State Assembly District 66 race
- See also: California races we're watching, 2016
On October 26, 2016, the Los Angeles Times reported that Munger contributed $1.4 million to a super PAC called the Spirit of Democracy California, which, in October, spent at least $1.1 million on ads opposing former state Rep. Al Muratsuchi (D) in his California State Assembly District 66 race against incumbent state Rep. David Hadley (R).[9]
2016 California's State Assembly District 16 race
- See also: California races we're watching, 2016
In California's State Assembly District 16, incumbent state Rep. Catharine Baker (R) ran for re-election against Cheryl Cook-Kallio (D) in the 2016 general election. The Los Angeles Times reported on October 28, 2016, that Munger had contributed $965,455 to oppose Cook-Kallio. The contribution was reportedly made through the Spirit of Democracy California.[10]
Proposition 20 (2010)
According to The New York Times, Munger's interest in redistricting dated to his experience in 2004 as a campaign volunteer for Steve Poizner's (R) unsuccessful Assembly campaign. Luis Buhler, Poizner's campaign manager, said the loss was a formative experience for Munger: "He saw in that race that the way that district was drawn prevented the election of a man he thought was much better qualified. That was really the first time he realized how it all worked."[11]
His interest in redistricting led Munger to contribute $12,157,441 to Proposition 20, a 2010 ballot measure that created an independent redistricting commission in the state. Susan Shafer, a spokesperson for the Proposition 20 campaign, said, "He’s a physicist by trade, but he’s extremely interested in this issue."[12] Of his decision to donate to the measure, Munger told a reporter for The New York Times, "I would’ve been very welcome in Republican circles if I decided to go chuck 10 million in a bunch of races up and down the state to fight for Republican control of Congress. It isn’t a worthy ambition compared to doing this."[11] Munger told Bloomberg, "I’m doing this to try to ensure voters have fair districts where representatives will compete for offices. Elected politicians are picking the voters, voters aren’t picking their representatives."[13]
Common Cause gave Munger its National Civic Leadership Award following his efforts supporting California Proposition 20, Congressional Redistricting Initiative (2010).[2]
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
See also
- What is an influencer?
- Redistricting in California
- California Proposition 20, Congressional Redistricting Initiative (2010)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Cal-Access, "Protect Voters First, Sponsored by Hold Politicians Accountable," accessed August 15, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Spirit of Democracy, "About Charles T. Munger Jr.," accessed July 29, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Better Voting Methods, "Founder," accessed September 2, 2025
- ↑ California Watch, "The Rainmakers: California's top political donors, 2001-2011," accessed January 27, 2016
- ↑ Hoover Institution, "Board of Overseers," accessed July 29, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Spirit of Democracy, "About the Spirit of Democracy," accessed July 29, 2025
- ↑ Better Voting Methods, "Our Purpose," accessed September 2, 2025
- ↑ FEC, "Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for you and for America FEC Form 3X," accessed January 27, 2016
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "GOP mega-donor is spending more than $1 million in coastal L.A. County Assembly district," October 26, 2016
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Republican donor Charles Munger Jr. throws nearly $1 million into Assembly race after Obama endorsement," October 28, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 New York Times, "Tackling Redistricting With Money and Zeal," October 7, 2010
- ↑ California Watch, "Wealthy donor's passion project is redistricting - but will voters care?" October 17, 2010
- ↑ Bloomberg, "Berkshire Billionaire's Son Battles Soros on California Ballot," October 15, 2010
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