Democrats are complaining that Republicans are interfering in their primaries in congressional races across the country. Evidently, they forgot that they did exactly the same thing in GOP primaries just four years ago.
Democrats are unhappy with Republicans and GOP-aligned groups for boosting more beatable Democrats in primaries in California, Texas, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska, among others. This is typically done through ad campaigns or mailers that treat the more radical, beatable Democrats in the race as the Republicans’ chief opponent, signaling to Democratic voters which candidate the GOP is “scared” of in hopes of getting those voters to boost that candidate through the primary.
GRAHAM PLATNER IS A MAN OF THE MANOR, NOT THE SEA
As Johnny Garcia, an establishment Democratic candidate in Texas, said, “No conspiracy here: a dark money, Republican Super PAC is trying to prop up my opponent because they’re scared of our campaign.” He accused both President Donald Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of “meddling in my election” by propping up his deranged antisemitic Democratic rival. (Garcia did ultimately end up defeating her).
Garcia is right not to like this practice. It is manipulative and possibly destructive, as it risks seeing some of these more radical candidates actually succeed in breaking through in general elections. But Garcia has no one to blame but his own party leaders, because this strategy became broadly mainstreamed by Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections, where Democrats hoped to blunt a possible red wave by propping up election deniers in GOP primaries.
This worked most notably for Democrats in the Pennsylvania governor’s race, where they helped boost election denier Doug Mastriano to the GOP nomination, making for an easier race for Josh Shapiro, and the New Hampshire Senate race, where the more controversial Don Bolduc was general election fodder for Sen. Maggie Hassan.
DAN SULLIVAN’S CHALLENGER WITH SAME NAME RULED INELIGIBLE FOR SENATE PRIMARY
As Chris Cillizza wrote for CNN back in 2022, “Democrats spent millions of dollars interfering in Republican primaries for Senate, House and governor around the country.” As he admitted, Democrats boosted these Republicans despite screeching about the “threat to democracy” of Republicans who denied election results, and that it was “beyond debate” that this meddling was “very effective” for helping Democrats win.
What is good for the goose is good for the gander, and Republicans lifting this strategy on the same broad scale that Democrats ran it in 2022 is to be expected as the GOP tries to blunt what should be a Democratic political environment in 2026. Democrats can whine and complain about this strategy all they want, but they were the ones who decided to run it in 2022 to their benefit. As usual, the only complaint Democrats have here is that the GOP isn’t rolling over and playing dead every time Democrats use underhanded tactics to gain more power.