Dems in Disarray Again As DCCC’s Primary Meddling Blows Up in Its Face

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) torched hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to rig another party primary, and still lost. Now House Democrats are in open revolt.

Former Arizona state Rep. Amish Shah defeated Marlene Galán-Woods in the Democratic primary for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. Shah received 39.8 percent of the vote, compared with 34.1 percent for Galán-Woods, with all precincts reporting. The results remain unofficial until they are certified.

It was the third time this cycle that the DCCC picked a primary loser. And this time, the committee's dues-paying members aren't just grumbling. They're demanding answers.

The DCCC endorsed Galán-Woods through its “Red to Blue” program in June and participated in a $514,000 joint advertising buy with her campaign. Outside groups also spent more than $1.5 million attacking Shah, while Galán-Woods benefited from more than $1 million in supportive television, digital, and mail advertising.

All of it failed. And it left the DCCC's dues-paying members asking the obvious question: What exactly did they get for their money?

Democrat Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois (IL-03), who said she contributed $100,000 in DCCC dues, pointed to the approximately $800,000 the committee spent across its failed interventions in Arizona, California and Maine.

“Can you imagine if we'd put that $800,000 in the general election so we can win in November? I would recommend that we just don't engage in primaries.”

Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York (NY-14), another leading DCCC contributor, said the committee should be “rationing our resources to win general elections” and called for a discussion about its involvement in Democratic primaries.

Behind closed doors, it was even uglier. A senior House Democrat summed it up in three words: "People are mad."

One Democrat who had paid all required DCCC dues said the committee should spend that money supporting candidates who have already won their primaries. The lawmaker then delivered the line that best captured the growing backlash:

“The DCCC is not god. They cannot dictate outcomes. There needs to be an acknowledgment that there's a limit to the ability of the DCCC to choose what it considers to be the perfect candidate.”

Another fully paid member said the committee should not take sides in a primary unless lawmakers agree, adding that the member was unaware of anyone being consulted before the Arizona intervention.

The pattern was already well established before Arizona. In California's 22nd District, the DCCC backed state Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, who lost to progressive activist Randy Villegas. Then DCCC-endorsed Maine state Sen. Joe Baldacci lost to Matt Dunlap in Maine's 2nd District. Roughly $250,000 in joint advertising across those two races, gone. Three swings, three misses.

Not everyone is ready to admit the obvious. Democrat Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona (AZ-04) insisted Democrats should move on and vowed the party would not be outspent in November. A DCCC spokesperson put on a brave face, insisting the caucus remains "united," a word that seems increasingly aspirational at this point.

Republicans couldn't resist piling on. The NRCC called Shah's win the DCCC's "latest humiliation" and pegged total spending to stop him at nearly $4.5 million, a figure from the NRCC itself but one that fits the broader reality: Democrats spent a fortune fighting themselves and came up empty. Shah will now face Republican nominee Jay Feely, a former NFL kicker endorsed by President Donald Trump, in a district Trump carried by three points in 2024.

Shah has already joked that he hopes the DCCC will endorse him over Feely. It's a funny line that makes a serious point. The committee burned its members' money trying to bury this guy, and now it has to go back to those same angry members, hat in hand, and beg them to fund his general election campaign. Good luck with that.

Editor’s Note: Every single day, here at RedState, we will stand up and FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT against the radical Left and deliver the conservative reporting our readers deserve.

Help us continue to tell the truth about the Trump administration and its successes. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.