Look Who’s Spending
When it comes to ballot questions, it’s always incredibly revealing to look at who is spending, especially who’s spending big.
Who is bankrolling Question 3?
Question 3, which would change MA’s primary system to a California-style jungle primary, eliminate primaries for Lt. Governor, and allow SuperPACs to get their endorsements on your ballot, is largely bankrolled by private equity.
According to OCPF filings, 20 donors gave $100,000 more more, together $5.36 million (81% of individual money). One private investment firm gave $200,000.
And 23 private equity executives gave $4.7 million (71% of all money from individuals), with most of that from current or former executives at Bain Capital or Berkshire Partners. Remember: The most dangerous words in the English language are we’re from private equity, and we’re here to help.
Why do they care so much? Because California’s system has helped corporate interest groups elect more corporate-aligned Democrats to the California Legislature, and pushing up the cost and time of an election shuts out working-class candidates from even thinking of running in the first place. Private equity executives don’t put up this much money without expecting a return.
Who is bankrolling Question 5?
Question 5, which would impose a tighter revenue limit on the state and lead to cuts to essential services we all depend on, is mostly funded by the Massachusetts Opportunity Alliance, a dark money group created by CEOs after the Fair Share fight in 2022.
These CEOs were mad about the passage of the Fair Share Amendment (or “millionaire’s tax”), and they felt that CEOs weren’t willing to donate publicly against Fair Share. Their solution? Creating a vehicle for CEOs to donate privately for campaigns in the future.
As we face $3 billion in federal cuts next year, these CEOs want to kneecap our state’s ability to respond, and they want to undermine the Fair Share Amendment and prevent our state from doing more in housing, health care, education, transportation, and the environment (and make it harder to even do what we’re already doing).
Who is bankrolling Question 8?
Question 8, which would roll back the legalization of recreational marijuana, is almost entirely funded by an out-of-state dark money group called Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) Action.
This group was founded by former Congressman Patrick Kennedy and former George W. Bush speechwriters David Sabet and David Frum (you might know him from his column in The Atlantic).
SAM, as a dark money group, doesn’t disclose its donors, but it has often been alleged to be funded by the liquor industry and the pharmaceutical industry, especially because whenever donors of anti-cannabis campaigns are disclosed, these are the big spenders. They don’t care about public health: they just don’t like competition.
Who is bankrolling No on 9?
Question 9 is different from the other 8 ballot questions. The other 8 were part on the ballot by the people who want you to vote yes. Question 9 was put on the ballot by the people who want you to vote No (it’s a “veto referendum” as opposed to a “ballot initiative petition”).
A Yes on 9 upholds the state’s 2024 gun safety law, which did important things like cracking down on ghost guns, updating our assault weapons ban, improving data collection on gun violence, and much more. But after Gov. Healey signed the bill, the Gun Owners Action League got to work to try to repeal it.
Who’s the biggest donor behind this repeal effort? None other than Smith & Wesson, whose $50K donation is 10% of the total.
