How desperate are the Democrats now that we're less than five months away from the midterm elections?
In the 1st Arizona congressional district, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) stuck its schnoz into a competitive primary and had it chopped off when the campaign arm backed Marlene Galán-Woods, a former Republican who switched parties at the beginning of Trump’s first term, but she narrowly lost the primary to Amish Shah, an emergency physician and the 2024 nominee.
There's little ideological difference between the two candidates. Both are veteran campaigners who faced each other in the 2024 Democratic primary, which Amish Shah won. Shah then lost the general election to incumbent Republican Rep. David Schweikert. Schweikert did not seek reelection to the House in 2026, instead running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, where he lost to Trump-backed Rep. Andy Biggs.
The DCCC poured $500,000 into a losing cause, and national Democrats are livid. This is the third primary that the establishment has attempted to put a thumb on the scale to swing their way. All three efforts ended in defeat.
The DCCC endorsed state Assembly member Jasmeet Bains in June, only to see her lose to progressive activist Randy Villegas in California's 22nd district. Also in June, the DCCC-endorsed state Sen. Joe Baldacci lost to progressive rival Matt Dunlap in Maine's 2nd District. That's another $500,000 between the two candidates spent by the campaign committee on candidates that rank and file Democrats rejected at the polls.
Usually, the DCCC (and the National Republican Congressional Committee) keep their distance in competitive primaries unless a Nazi or Klansman is involved. But the establishment Democrats' decision to put their thumb on the scale by contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars to primary candidates in open seats is not going down well with some national Democrats.
The DCCC's "Red to Blue" program to flip the House has proven to be the GOP's most effective campaign strategy. Not only is the DCCC burning through cash that might have been better spent on competitive, winnable races, but it is also angering Democrats from many points of view.
"I personally don't think we should be investing against Democrats when we've got a big battleground," Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), who represents swing-district House Democrats in leadership, told Axios.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) told Axios: "When we have caucus-funded organizations that are paid through dues, we should not be picking winners and losers among Democrats."
This is especially true when the Democratic brand is toxic even among its supporters.
DCCC support generally brings an influx of money and staffing, both from the party itself and from the donors and interest groups that take its cues. But establishment support has been a turnoff for some voters.
“The Democratic Party needs to grow up and wake up,” said Maria Liong, a 24-year-old medical student who volunteered for Shah’s campaign. “They need to realize that they want candidates who listen to their people.”
In the GOP primary, Feely defeated Joseph Chaplik, a former state lawmaker popular with grassroots activists, for the party’s nomination. He was in the NFL with seven teams over 14 seasons, including with the Arizona Cardinals from 2010 to 2013. He became an NFL broadcaster after retiring in 2014.
Trying to engineer voters' choices in the primaries demonstrates a level of panic not usually seen in a national party. The Democrats are so worried about the radicals that they're trying to force their voters to accept less toxic candidates. It's not working. Most voters hate it when the national party tries to interfere in a local election. The establishment is known to botch the effort because it has no idea of the personalities and rivalries at play.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said the party should be "rationing our resources to win general elections," and called for "a conversation about ... what the involvement in primaries looks like."
I think many Democrats just want the DCCC to imitate a child and be seen, not heard.
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