A conservative political organization is openly acknowledging what Democrats have spent weeks complaining about: Republicans are playing in Democrat primaries to help nominate candidates they believe will be easier to defeat in November.
According to documents obtained by the Daily Caller, Conservative Americans PAC coordinated efforts across five congressional races to elevate more progressive Democrat candidates over rivals viewed as stronger general-election contenders. The effort stretched across Nebraska’s 2nd District, Pennsylvania’s 7th District, Texas’ 35th District, New Jersey’s 7th District, and Maine’s 2nd District.
The group worked alongside affiliated organizations, including Lead Left PAC and Real Change PAC, to influence Democrat primary outcomes. Together, outside groups spent roughly $18.1 million across the targeted contests, with Lead Left PAC and Real Change PAC accounting for approximately $4.3 million of that total, according to the documents reviewed by the Daily Caller.
Conservative Americans PAC did not deny its strategy; instead, the organization defended it.
“After over a decade of Democrats meddling in our primaries and with radical politicians ascending in the Democrat Party, Republicans are evening the playing field,” Conservative Americans PAC spokeswoman Samantha Bullock told the Daily Caller. “To quote Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, ‘These clowns have been playing checkers, and we’re going to continue to play three-dimensional chess.'”
The tactic is straightforward: run attacks in Democrat primaries highlighting far-left positions such as abolishing ICE, supporting Medicare for All, or opposing President Donald Trump. While framed as attacks, the ads can actually help more ideologically rigid candidates gain traction with Democrat primary voters.
Republican strategists argue that candidates who embrace positions popular with progressive activists often struggle to win over swing voters in competitive general elections.
The effort appears to be part of a broader national strategy.
Axios recently reported that House Democrats are “seething” over what it described as a “nationwide Republican effort to elevate Democratic primary candidates viewed as more beatable in November.” The outlet reported that several progressive-sounding super PACs have emerged in battleground races to boost left-wing or scandal-plagued Democratic candidates.
One of the clearest examples occurred in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.
Lead Left PAC spent more than $435,000 opposing Democrat state Sen. John Cavanaugh, portraying him as insufficiently opposed to Trump and too willing to work across party lines. The spending coincided with Denise Powell’s primary victory. Meanwhile, Democrat-aligned groups, including the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC and Progressive Promise, spent roughly $400,000 supporting Cavanaugh.
A similar battle unfolded in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.
There, Real Change PAC spent heavily against Democrat state Sen. Joe Baldacci, the candidate backed by national Democrats. Baldacci ultimately lost after ranked-choice tabulation, and State Auditor Matt Dunlap secured the nomination. Following the primary, Inside Elections rated the district “Likely Republican,” highlighting the difficult terrain Democrats now face heading into November.
The spending campaigns have drawn scrutiny beyond their political objectives.
Roll Call, Punchbowl News, and other outlets have reported on the emergence of opaque, progressive-branded super PACs operating in Democratic primaries. Campaign finance watchdogs have also questioned whether some groups used newly formed entities and shell companies to obscure spending activity.
Conservative Americans PAC also pushed back against media claims linking the organization to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The group said it has been inaccurately labeled “McCarthy-linked” because of its involvement in several Republican primary fights after McCarthy’s ouster. According to the PAC, McCarthy has no affiliation with the organization, its activities, or its primary funder, Americans for Prosperity Alliance, a nonprofit not required under federal law to disclose its donors.
Republicans note that Democrats have employed similar tactics for years.
The New York Times previously reported that Democratic meddling in Republican primaries has become a routine campaign strategy. Democratic-aligned organizations have spent millions attempting to elevate Republican candidates viewed as weaker or more controversial in general elections.
According to the documents reviewed by the Daily Caller, Democrat-aligned outside groups have spent roughly $44 million across 18 targeted Republican primaries this cycle. By comparison, the Lead Left PAC and Real Change PAC efforts accounted for just over $4 million in Democratic primary spending.
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