The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is under fire from its own members after sinking $135,000 into a losing primary fight in California, sparking threats to withhold campaign dues and demands for sweeping changes to how the party committee operates.
The clash centers on the DCCC's decision to back Jasmeet Bains, a moderate state assemblymember, in the Democratic primary for California's 22nd district. The committee added Bains to its prestigious "Red to Blue" program and launched a joint advertising campaign in the race's final weeks. But progressive-backed Randy Villegas, a political science professor and activist, won the primary anyway, and now angry House members are questioning why their mandatory dues funded a campaign against their own preferred candidate.
"People think the DCCC doesn't care about them other than their dues," a senior House Democrat told Axios. "They have no say where they go, they don't help safe-seat incumbents."
Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona, who backed Villegas, described the DCCC's intervention as deeply troubling. "It frustrates me and it's just deeply disappointing that the DCCC tried to tip the scales in a very competitive Democratic primary," she said.
The primary split Democratic leadership along ideological lines. Villegas had the backing of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Hispanic Caucus, while Bains was supported by the center-left New Democrat Coalition and Congressional Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus. The DCCC chose to side with Bains despite the divided support, a decision that left progressives fuming.
David Hogg, former DNC Vice Chair whose group Run for Something supported Villegas, said the DCCC's move backfired spectacularly. "You saw the Hispanic Caucus lose their mind when Jasmeet got put on Red to Blue, you saw progressives get incredibly upset too," he told Axios.
Dues Money Weaponized
The controversy cuts deeper than a single primary loss. House members are escalating threats to withhold their dues payments, which they are required to pay to secure coveted committee assignments. The idea that this mandatory money is being used to fund campaigns against candidates they endorse has triggered what some describe as a crisis of trust.
"It makes me take a pause, definitely, when I'm considering paying my dues that they're being used against candidates that I'm supporting," Grijalva said. "That's really frustrating for me."
One lawmaker put it bluntly: "I'm supposed to give you $175,000 of very difficult-to-raise money, and then the money we give to show we're a good team player, you turn around and spend in primaries?"
A second House Democrat added that the DCCC should have stayed out of the race entirely. "That money definitely could be used for something else and it was weird to me that the DCCC jumped in when so many caucuses had made a different decision," the member said.
Lawmakers are now demanding either that the DCCC stop spending in primaries altogether or distribute funds equally among the party's competing ideological factions. "There are really serious, direct conversations happening" about changing the practice, one House Democrat told Axios, adding that these discussions involve DCCC chair Suzan DelBene and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The DCCC has defended its California move as sound strategy. Executive Director Julie Merz said Bains was selected based on internal polling that showed her to be the strongest general election candidate. "This includes supporting top-tier candidates who are best positioned to flip their districts in November," she said. "Strong nominees allow us to expand our battlefield, spread our resources to more races, and deliver Democrats the biggest majority possible."
The committee pointed to other "Red to Blue" picks who won contested primaries, including progressive-backed candidates in Texas and Pennsylvania, suggesting that the strategy extends across ideological lines.
Now that Villegas has won the nomination, his backers are demanding the DCCC invest the same level of resources behind him as it did Bains. Hogg called on the committee to consolidate around the general election matchup. "I really, really hope the DCCC practices what they preach and they consolidate around him and work with him to give him the full financial backing he deserves, because he can win this race," he said.
The Villegas victory in a seat held by Rep. David Valadao gives Democrats a chance to flip a traditionally Republican district. Merz pledged full support going forward, saying the primary results showed voters are ready to fire Valadao.
Author James Rodriguez: "The DCCC's gamble in California blew up spectacularly, and House Democrats are right to demand accountability for how mandatory dues get deployed in intraparty fights."
Comments