We got some infighting within the Democratic Party.
Democratic candidates in primaries have blasted the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) over its “Red to Blue” initiative, which is reserved for top-tier candidates.
The DCCC picked 12 candidates to prop up in an effort to flip those districts and retake the House. It seems these candidates will receive more support and money than others.
“Parties play an important role in building infrastructure and supporting nominees, but voters must choose those nominees freely,” wrote 17 of the primary opponents of the 12 candidates. “Open primaries, transparent processes, and robust debate are not obstacles to victory — they are the path to it. The Democratic Party will be strongest when voters, not insiders, choose its nominees.”
Here are the 12 candidates the DCCC endorsed:
“Candidates earn a spot in the program by surpassing aggressive goals for grassroots engagement, local support, campaign organization, and fundraising,” according to the DCCC press release.
The quick endorsement of those candidates led 17 Democratic primary candidates to release a joint statement criticizing the party for trying to sabotage the process.
“We are six months out from a primary … it is absolutely infuriating,” said Jason Knapp, a candidate in Virginia’s 1st Congressional district, as reported by Axios. “This is exactly what we as Democrats have been complaining about for years and we’re just doing it again.”
Knapp’s opponent, Shannon Taylor, received the DCCC endorsement.
Taylor faces six people in her primary. A few, like Knapp, have raised significant money, too.
“Primaries are not an inconvenience, they are the foundation of democratic legitimacy,” said 17 primary opponents of the endorsed candidates. “Constituents deserve the opportunity to compare ideas, hear open debate, and decide for themselves who will represent them rather than being told who to vote for.”
The coalition includes:
The candidates pointed out that early endorsements influence the primaries instead of allowing them to win on their own. It could affect fundraising, access, and viability in the eyes of the voter.
“You cannot argue that democracy is on the ballot in November while narrowing democracy in the primaries from now through August,” the coalition added. “If a candidate is strong, they should be able to earn support in open competition. Protecting them from competition is not confidence.”
Ouch!
“We go through a long process, making sure that we’re looking at folks who are running really strong campaigns,” DCCC chair Suzan DelBene (D-WA) fired back. “These are all strong candidates, they’re the ones who are going to be the general election candidate and they’re the ones that we think can win the general election.”
At least the party admits that it only cares about winning, not its voters.
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