California Democratic Party backs Proposition 38 for medical research funding

The California Democratic Party has endorsed YES on Proposition 38, a ballot measure that would direct $8.4 billion to California research institutions for work on diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Supporters say the measure could help protect scientific progress as federal research funding faces uncertainty.

Why it matters: - Proposition 38 would steer $8.4 billion to California-based public universities and nonprofit medical research institutions. - Backers say the money would support work on treatments and cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders, autoimmune diseases and other serious illnesses. - The measure could affect research momentum in California at a time when federal funding uncertainty is threatening clinical trials and scientific progress.

What happened: - The California Democratic Party announced support for YES on Proposition 38. - The endorsement adds another major bloc to a coalition that already includes patients, doctors, researchers, nurses, health advocates and social justice advocates. - Party delegates gave overwhelming support to the measure at the party’s annual convention last weekend.

The details: - Prop 38 is described as a ballot measure to advance life-saving research to prevent and cure diseases that affect nearly every California family. - Immunotherapies are treatments that use the body’s immune system to recognize and stop disease. - Recent immunotherapy breakthroughs have helped fight cancers including melanoma, lung cancer, certain leukemias and lymphomas. - Supporter Lila Javan, an immunotherapy patient and four-time cancer survivor, said years of scientific research changed her outlook and that immunotherapies gave her more hope and more time. - The coalition includes major disease groups, research organizations and community groups such as the ALS Association, Alzheimer’s Association/AIM, American Association of Immunologists, American Nurses Association/California, City of Hope, FasterCures of the Milken Institute, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Research!America and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. - The group provided a partial list of supporters and directed readers to more information and the full coalition list. - The announcement also listed social links for the campaign on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X.

Between the lines: - The endorsement gives Prop 38 political and symbolic momentum beyond its existing health-care and research base. - The federal funding uncertainty argument positions the measure as both a research investment and a shield against broader national disruption. - The focus on immunotherapy is meant to connect the ballot measure to treatments that already have visible patient-level results.

What's next: - Supporters are pushing voters to back Prop 38 ahead of the ballot fight. - The campaign says supporters can learn more on YESon38.com, including the coalition list and supporter statements. - If approved, the measure would channel funding into California research institutions for disease research and treatment development.