politics
DCCC-Backed Candidates Lose Two Democratic Primaries
Two candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee lost primary contests this month. The defeats occurred in California's 22nd district and Maine's 2nd district.
motherjones.comAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
A candidate backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee lost the Democratic primary in California's 22nd district earlier this month. The winner defeated the DCCC-endorsed moderate assembly member. Another DCCC-endorsed candidate lost the Democratic primary in Maine's 2nd district on Thursday. The winner defeated the endorsed state senator.
The DCCC spent $135,000 on ads supporting the California candidate and $7,500 backing the Maine candidate, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact. The committee added several candidates facing primary opposition to its "Red to Blue" list. The list also included candidates in Pennsylvania, Texas, Arizona, and Florida.
The program is intended to direct resources toward Democratic candidates in competitive districts.
The winning candidates used the DCCC endorsements in their campaigns. One campaign labeled its opponent the "DCCC's Handpicked Candidate" in a press release. " A spokesperson for the Maine winner said voters rejected outside spending. " A DCCC executive director said the committee noted involvement by outside groups it described as Republican-affiliated in the contested races.
The director stated that Democrats remain focused on winning a House majority.
