Soros drops massive donation into Newsom's redistricting effort to counter Trump: report

Billionaire left-wing donor George Soros contributed $10 million to California Gov. Gavin Newsom's ballot initiative to redistrict the state, The New York Times reported Friday. 

Soros, who has helped fund left-wing campaigns stretching from district attorneys to federal elections, contributed the single largest donation amount to Newsom's effort to redraw the state's congressional lines, according to the outlet, which cited two sources with direct knowledge. 

Soros is the founder of the Open Society Foundations, which is a massive $25 billion nonprofit. His son Alex succeeded him as chair of the board of directors of the Open Society Foundations in 2022. 

The donation has helped build Newsom's war chest for a redistricting effort to roughly $70 million, according to the Times. Newsom launched the redistricting effort, Proposition 50, earlier in 2025 to counter the Trump administration's promotion that Republicans in states such as Texas redistrict their own lines. 

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"We are talking about emergency measures to respond to what's happening in Texas, and we will nullify what happens in Texas," Newsom said in August of Proposition 50. 

Dozens of Democratic state lawmakers fled Texas in August for liberal bastions such as Illinois, Massachusetts and New York to prevent a quorum for a special session as Republican state lawmakers prepared to vote on a redrawn congressional map for the state ahead of the 2026 midterms. The Texas Legislature ultimately passed the measure in August, with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signing the new lines into law that same month. 

In response to the Republican efforts, Newsom launched his state's initiative to counter red state redistricting. Proposition 50 will appear on California ballots for a special election Nov. 4. 

"We'll pick up five seats with the consent of the people. And that's the difference between the approach we're taking and the approach they're taking," Newsom continued in his August press conference. "We're doing it on a temporary basis. We're doing it in a fully transparent way, and we're doing it by asking the people of the state of California for their consent and support."

President Donald Trump had encouraged redistricting in Texas, including remarking in August that efforts to redistrict in Texas could lead to the GOP picking up five seats. 

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"In California, it's all gerrymandered," Trump said during an interview with CNBC at the time. "And we have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats. We have a really good governor, and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas. I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats." 

Trump also has repeatedly railed against Soros in public remarks over his donations to left-wing causes and candidates, including calling for investigations into George and Alex Soros.  

CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS SUE TO STOP NEWSOM, DEMOCRATS FROM PUSHING REDISTRICTING PLAN

"Soros, and his group of psychopaths, have caused great damage to our Country! That includes his Crazy, West Coast friends. Be careful, we're watching you!" Trump wrote on Truth Social in August. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Open Society Foundations and Newsom's office for comment but did not immediately receive replies. 

Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.