Republicans are Secretly Funding the Most Radical Dems to Help them win in the Dem Primaries
by Hans Nichols, Axios.com, June 16, 2026
House Democrats are seething over what is, by all indications, a nationwide Republican effort to elevate Democratic primary candidates viewed as more beatable in November.
Why it matters: This once-rare practice is becoming commonplace. Democrats did it in 2022 and 2024, and one House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told us it "seems like the new normal."
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has publicly blasted Republicans on the subject, writing in a post on X last week: "Stay the Hell out of our races with your malignant and desperate scheming."
Driving the news: A trio of obscure super PACs with progressive-sounding names have cropped up in recent months to support more left-leaning or scandal-tarnished candidates in key battleground districts.
- Lead Left PAC played in Nebraska's 2nd District, Pennsylvania's 7th and — most infamously — Texas' 35th, where it reported spending over $1 million to boost Maureen Galindo, a sex therapist whose comments widely seen as antisemitic became a major flashpoint before she lost in a primary runoff.
- Real Change PAC spent big to oppose the more moderate Democratic primary candidates in New Jersey's 7th, Maine's 2nd and California's 22nd.
- Progressive Champions PAC is spending at least $1.5 million against centrist Cait Conley in New York's 17th district.
Between the lines: Republicans have played coy about their alleged role in these efforts, but there are clues pointing to their involvement.
- Lead Left PAC's website — which says the group "stands against MAGA extremists" and — included a link to the GOP fundraising site WinRed in its metadata, according to Punchbowl News.
- When one signs up for Real Change PAC's email list, the group responds with an email from GOP consulting firm Cavalry LLC, as Axios first reported.
- Progressive Champions PAC and Real Change PAC list the same bank of record on their FEC filings, with both reportedly using the same, Republican-affiliated compliance filing software.
What we're hearing: One former House Republican with knowledge of the effort, speaking on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive details, told us this is simply the GOP fighting fire with fire.
- "After Dems ran these fake PACs two years ago, Republicans have entered the fray with the same strategy," the former lawmaker told Axios. New York's 17th District, they added, is "one of the districts [where] it's being employed."
- Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) told us that GOP spending in Democratic primaries is "awful" but was "inevitable" after Democrats adopted the tactic in the Biden years.
Yes, but: A former House Democrat involved in the 2022 and 2024 elections noted there were "no fake shell Dem PACs from those years."
- In 2022, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and House Majority PAC meddled directly in GOP primaries.
- In 2024, a group called Duty and Country — which had public ties to Democrats' Senate Majority PAC — supported now-Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) in his GOP primary.
What they're saying: Democrats "aren't happy" that Republicans are "trying to help the far left," a senior House Democrat told us.
- "This type of spending is as prevalent as it is awful — by Dems and Republicans," Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.) told us.
The bottom line: This is all made possible in part by campaign finance laws allowing these groups to keep their funding sources hidden until after primary day.
- "If only Congress had the ability to do something about these super PACs," Olszewski told us sarcastically, adding, "Oh wait."
— Andrew Solender
