The redistricting group backed by former President Barack Obama has raised nearly $11 million. | Getty Dem redistricting group clocks $10.8 million in first 6 months

The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, the group backed by former President Barack Obama and chaired by former Attorney General Eric Holder to make Democrats competitive in redistricting fights, will finish July reporting $10.8 million, according to its financial filings.

That money is split between its various entities: a federal PAC, plus 501c3 and 501c4 entities that house much of its structural work. Most of the money comes from high dollar donors, though the NDRC says that there was a total of 10,000 people who gave overall, with a rush of small donors after the election when the group was officially formed.


Mega-donors were key: Chicago’s Fred Eychaner and Florida’s Donald Sussman gave $500,000 each, while Jon Stryker gave $200,000. Director J.J. Abrams and his wife, actress Katie McGrath, gave $125,000 each.

Much of the fundraising was through five briefings for donors conducted by Holder, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and Washington, but an event that Obama headlined in Washington earlier this month gave the efforts a significant boost.

Democrats are hoping that the group will be able to coordinate efforts between activists and interest groups in prioritized state legislative and governor’s races for the next round of redistricting after the 2020 census, as well as being the home of legal challenges on the state level and at the Supreme Court. That’s an enormous array of ambitious activities, in which they’ll be going up against well-funded interests across the country. In most states, it is expected to be a major uphill battle to change the balance of power that could change the maps.

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But people involved say their start has them feeling confident.

"The NDRC's significant fundraising in its first six months will allow us to take on gerrymandering and reform our electoral system,” Holder said. “This will be done through our courts, at the ballot box, and through support of ballot initiatives that create non-partisan commissions and other electoral reforms.”

