California Ballot Fights Draw $351 Million, With Cash Flowing to Paid Social Posts

More than $351 million in political donations has flowed into the contest over a proposed wealth tax on California's November ballot, making it one of the most costly campaigns in state history. Some of that money is funding sponsored posts in voters' social media feeds.

Campaign finance records show how much groups spend on digital media, but not how much of that goes to influencers. AdImpact projects political ad spending in the 2026 California cycle will approach $1 billion, more than any other state, with roughly $114 million expected for platforms including Facebook, Google, Snapchat and X.

Proposition 40 would impose a one-time 5% tax on the assets of California's roughly 200 billionaires. Google co-founder Sergey Brin has donated millions to Building a Better California, a group funding ads against the proposal. More than $350 million has been contributed to fight the tax and support Propositions 41 and 42, which could block it. The $293 million spent by California billionaires to oppose Proposition 40 amounts to about 0.07% of their estimated wealth.

Creators with large followings are posting about the measure. Bartley Chavez, who has more than 47,500 Instagram followers, published an October video opposing Proposition 40; the caption states the opposing campaign paid her. Los Angeles author Leigh McGowan, who has more than 3.5 million followers across platforms, said in a sponsored Instagram video, "No one is punishing the rich. They are doing just fine." One Los Angeles creator known as The Speech Prof, with more than 1.7 million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok, said he rejected money to oppose the tax and later posted a video backing it, noting the Proposition 40 campaign paid for the content.

An October report from the Center for Democracy & Technology and the Communication Technology Research Lab at the University of Pittsburgh found creators are paid a few hundred dollars or up to $30,000 per post, and that "genuine belief in political issues or candidates can, and often does, coexist with compensation."

California requires disclosure of paid political posts. In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation setting fines of up to $5,000 per post for influencers who fail to disclose payment. Instagram allows paid political ads, while TikTok does not, though enforcement has been an issue.

Karen Clay-Fenderson, a Los Angeles mom and retired teacher with more than 120,000 Instagram followers, posted videos about Proposition 42 and disclosed the campaign paid her. "They understand that we have influence, and people listen to what we have to say," she said. "That's why I'm very cautious. This is what I'm doing, but you need to make your choice." Nathan Click, a spokesperson for Proposition 42, said creators "play an important role in the political conversation" and that the campaign's partners disclose they are paid and follow campaign laws.