In late August 2025, social media posts claimed Reed Hastings, the co-founder and chairman of Netflix, had donated $2 million to support California Gov. Gavin Newsom's redistricting campaign aimed at boosting Democrats' prospects in the 2026 midterm elections.
The move came after Texas lawmakers approved their own redistricting plan that created five new districts favoring Republicans. California's redistricting effort was aimed at offsetting the Texas map with five new Democratic-leaning seats.
In a post (archived) shared on Aug. 31, 2025, one Facebook user wrote, "Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and professional wallet for Democrats, just dropped $2 million into Gavin Newsom's redistricting scheme."
Similar posts circulated elsewhere on Facebook (archived) and on X (archived here and here), including this one:
🚨BREAKING: Reed Hastings, co-founder and chairman of Netflix, has donated $2 MILLION to back Gavin Newsom's redistricting campaign in California.
What's your response?
Will you STOP watching Netflix ?Â
YES or NO? pic.twitter.com/NGu4oPhw11— Tucker Carlson News (@TuckerCNews) August 30, 2025
Snopes' readers also searched our website to find out whether Hastings actually donated $2 million to support Newsom's redistricting efforts.
The claim was true. State campaign finance records showed Hastings donated $2 million in late August to support redistricting efforts in California.
It is worth noting that this was a donation made by Hastings personally, not by Netflix as a company, as some people on social media suggested.
A Form 497 (archived) filed on Aug. 29, 2025, reported a $2 million contribution from Hastings to "The Election Rigging Response Act, Governor Newsom's Ballot Measure Committee."
(California Secretary of State)
The document is a report that individuals or groups must file when they receive or spend $1,000 or more within 90 days of an election. Proposition 50, the redistricting measure that's part of a campaign Newsom has called the "Election Rigging Response Act," is set to appear on the ballot in California's special election on Nov. 4, 2025.
While the filing did not include a street address for Hastings, it did list Santa Cruz, California, as his city of residence and the ZIP code 95060. This information aligned with Hastings' contribution records compiled by OpenSecrets, a nonprofit organization that tracks and publishes campaign finance data. Another 2025 campaign finance report (archived) that Snopes found during our search for the Form 497 also listed Hastings' employer as "Netflix.com."
News outlets Bloomberg (archived) and Politico (archived) first reported the news of Hastings' $2 million donation to Newsom's redistricting campaign.
Snopes asked Hastings via email to confirm his donation and elaborate on the reasons behind it. We'll update this story should we receive a response from him.
Hastings has historically been a major political donor to Democratic candidates and causes. For example, in 2024, he donated $7 million to a super PAC supporting former Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential election campaign, according to Variety.
Hastings and his wife also donated as much as $1.5 million to back President Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential race, The New York Times reported. They've also donated to super PACs meant to help House and Senate Democrats, according to the newspaper.Â