Daily Brew: September 9, 2025

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Welcome to the Tuesday, Sept. 9, Brew. 

By: Briana Ryan

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

1. California Proposition 50 campaigns top $41.4 million—more than the three previous initiatives on the state's Citizens Redistricting Commission
2. State supreme court vacancy count for August 2025
3. On the Ballot breaks down what's coming up in Congress

California Proposition 50 campaigns top $41.4 million—more than the three previous initiatives on the state's Citizens Redistricting Commission

As of Sept. 4, the campaign committees for and against California Proposition 50 have raised a combined $41.4 million. Supporters raised $21.3 million, while opponents raised $20.1 million.

Proposition 50, which qualified for the ballot on Aug. 21, would allow the state to use a new, Legislature-drawn congressional district map for 2026 through 2030, replacing the map the California Citizens Redistricting Commission(CCRC) adopted in 2021.

The fundraising total for Proposition 50 exceeds the total for the three previous California initiatives to create the Citizens Redistricting Commission (Proposition 11, approved in 2008), transfer congressional redistricting to the commission (Proposition 20, approved in 2010), and abolish the commission (Proposition 27, rejected in 2010). 

Supporters

Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) Ballot Measure Committee organized the support campaign, known as "Yes on 50". "Progressive Era Issues Committee Supporting Yes on 50" also organized as a political action committee (PAC) to support the measure. Together, the two PACs raised $21.3 million. "Yes on 50" raised 97.9% of the funds, and "Progressive Era Issues Committee Supporting Yes on 50" raised 2.1%.

The following are the top five donors to the groups supporting Proposition 50:

1. The House Majority PAC (HMP) contributed $3.5 million—16.6% of the campaign's total funds. HMP is a super PAC that focuses on electing Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives.
2. The California Teachers Association (CTA) Issues PAC contributed $3 million. CTA is a California public school teachers and education support staff labor union.
3. Michael Moritz, a venture capitalist and former managing partner of Sequoia Capital, contributed $2.5 million.
4. The Newsom for California Governor 2022 PAC contributed $2 million.
5. Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix, also contributed $2 million.

Three others contributed approximately $1 million each to the campaign: Bill Bloomfield, former president of Web Service Company, the California Labor Federation, and the SEIU California State Council.

Opponents

Opponents organized "Protect Voters First" and "Stop Sacramento's Power Grab." Charles T. Munger, Jr. is listed as the principal officer of Protect Voters First. Jessica Millan Patterson, who formerly chaired the California Republican Party, is listed as the principal officer of “Stop Sacramento's Power Grab”. Together, the two committees have raised $20.1 million.

Munger is the largest donor to the opposition campaign, contributing $20.1 million—99.9% of the opposition's total. Munger, a physicist and political donor, is the son of Charles Munger Sr., who was Warren Buffett's business partner at Berkshire Hathaway. He chaired the Santa Clara County Republican Party and the California Republican Party's Initiatives Committee. He contributed to several ballot measure campaigns in the 2000s and 2010s, including campaigns to create the CCRC.

The "Doug LaMalfa Committee," associated with U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), has made $12,814 of in-kind contributions. Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher's (R) "Free California" PAC has made $6,824 of in-kind contributions.

An additional organization, "Right Path California" (RPC), made expenditures against Proposition 50. RPC is registered as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. Patterson is RPC's CEO.

Comparisons

While Proposition 50 is the most expensive ballot measure of 2025, the 10 most expensive ballot measures in California each raised more than $120 million.

In 2024, Ohio Issue 1, which would have created a non-politician commission responsible for adopting state legislative and congressional redistricting plans, became the most expensive redistricting-related ballot measure on record. Supporters of Issue 1 raised $43.4 million, while opponents raised $7.5 million. Voters defeated the measure 54% to 46%.

Click here for more information on Proposition 50.

State supreme court vacancy count for August 2025

From Aug. 1 to Sept. 1, one state supreme court justice was sworn into office and four left office. Today, we'll tell you more about those justices and the announced retirements, nominations, appointments, and confirmations of justices during that period.

Justices sworn in/out

During August 2025, one justice was sworn into office, and four justices left office.

• On Aug. 6, Thomas Ewing was sworn into the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia—the same day that Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) appointed him. Ewing replaced Justice Beth Walker, who retired on June 27.
• On Aug. 23, Justice Karen R. Carroll resigned from the Vermont Supreme Court. Gov. Phil Scott (R) appointed Carroll to the Court in 2017. As of Sept. 1, Scott had not named Caroll's successor, who will be his fourth appointment to the Court.
• On Aug. 26, Justice Tim Armstead died at the age of 60. Former Gov. Jim Justice (R) appointed him to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia in 2018. As of Sept. 1, Morrisey has not announced Armstead's successor, who will be his second appointment to the Court.
• On Aug. 31, Justice James Bassett resigned from the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Former Gov. John Lynch (D) appointed Bassett to the Court in 2012. As of Sept. 1, the Court has not announced the swearing-in date of Bassett's successor, Bryan Gould.
• On Sept. 1, Justice Jeffrey S. Boyd resigned from the Texas Supreme Court. Former Gov. Rick Perry (R) appointed Boyd to the court in 2012. As of Sept. 1, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has not named Boyd's successor, who will be his eighth appointment to the Court.

Candidates nominated, appointed, and confirmed

During August 2025, three justices were appointed to three courts of last resort.

• On Aug. 6, Morrisey appointed Ewing to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Ewing has served as a district court judge for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit since 2018. Ewing is Morrisey's first appointment to the Court.
• On Aug. 7, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) appointed Larkin Walsh to the Kansas Supreme Court. Walsh is an attorney with the law firm Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP. Walsh is Kelly's fourth appointment to the Court. As of Sept. 1, Larkin's swearing-in date has not been announced.
• On Aug. 26, New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) appointed Gould to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Gould is a director at the law firm Cleveland Waters and Bass, P.A., and has served on the New Hampshire Judicial Selection Commission since 2025. As of Sept. 1, Gould's swearing-in date has not been announced.

Announced retirements

During August 2025, two justices announced they would retire.

• On Aug. 7, Justice William Cohen announced he would retire from the Vermont Supreme Court in December 2025. Scott appointed Cohen to the Court in 2019.
• On Aug. 27, Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman announced she would retire from the Nebraska Supreme Court on Oct. 31. Former Gov. Ben Nelson (D) appointed her to the Court in 1998. As of Sept. 1, Gov. Jim Pillen (R) had not named Miller-Lerman's successor, who will be his third appointment to the Court.

Click here to read more about state supreme court vacancies in 2025.

On the Ballot breaks down what's coming up in Congress

In this episode of On the Ballot, we're heading to Capitol Hill, where Congress just returned from its summer recess to a full agenda. Politico's Nicholas Wu joins our host Norm Leahy to break down the major issues Congress faces as it returns to work.

The upcoming government funding deadline is at the top of the agenda, with debates inside the Republican caucus shaping what kind of proposal might move forward. Democrats face their own pressures, balancing calls from within the party's base for a tougher stance with concerns about being seen as responsible for a potential shutdown.

We'll also explain the other issues before Congress, such as President Donald Trump's (R) continued federal control of the DC police and the redistricting efforts across the country.

To listen to this episode and more, click here. Also, don't forget to subscribe to On the Ballot on YouTube or wherever you get your podcast.