Why a GOP PAC appears to be boosting a Democrat in California’s Central Valley
The Congressional Leadership Fund — a powerful political action committee aligned with House Republicans — appears to be boosting progressive Democrat Randy Villegas in his Central Valley primary race.
The GOP PAC recently sent out a mailer, in which it called Villegas a “lifelong Democrat” who is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and opposed to President Donald Trump’s policies. The mailer comes as Villegas, a college professor, faces moderate Democratic Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains in a tough primary for California’s 22nd Congressional District.
Both are hoping to unseat Republican Rep. David Valadao, who is widely expected to advance to the general election. As in past cycles, the Latino-majority district will be one of the nation’s most closely watched battleground races.
The mailer is likely an attempt by Republicans to elevate Villegas, whom they view as the easier candidate to beat, according to multiple political experts. The PAC is dedicated to electing Republicans to the House, per its website.
Valadao has repeatedly defied the odds by winning the left-leaning swing district six out of the past seven elections. This year, he faces a particularly uphill battle as he tries to defend his party’s record under an increasingly unpopular president.
“In most of these swing districts, you want candidates that appeal to the median voter, and it seems like CLF views Villegas as someone who’s going to turn off median voters and push them closer to Valadao,” said Alex Tavlian, a Republican and Central Valley consultant who previously worked for Valadao.
Congressional Leadership Fund spokesperson Lydia Hall, through a written statement, said Villegas would be a “terrible Congressman and will not be elected” though she did not respond to questions asking if the group preferred he advance from the primary over Bains.
314 Action, which backs candidates with science backgrounds and endorsed Bains, framed the mailer as an attempt to boost the “weaker opponent.”
“This is not an accident, it’s a confession,” said Erik Polyak, executive director of 314 Action in a written statement. “Republicans have done the math. They know that Dr. Jasmeet Bains is the stronger general election candidate.”
On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the Congressional Leadership Fund is one of two Republican super PACs meddling in Democratic congressional primaries across the country to promote more progressive candidates. Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money but are prohibited from donating directly to or coordinating with campaigns.
“This is probably the one competitive seat in California — truly competitive,” said Mike Madrid, a longtime Republican political consultant and a co-founder of anti-Trump The Lincoln Project. “So I think the Republicans have to pull all the stops to do anything that they can in a year that’s going to likely be a tough year for them.”
The mailer comes just days after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic Party’s House campaign and fundraising arm, signaled party leadership’s preference for Bains. Neither Bains nor Villegas secured enough votes for the state party’s endorsement earlier this year.
Tavlian said both the House Democrats and Republican leadership have reached the same “calculus,” with their internal polling likely showing that Bains provides the tougher battle for Valadao.
“They’re going to engage and try to keep the favorable option viable, and see if they can see them through to the general,” he said.
Villegas, in a written statement, called the GOP mailer yet another “outside group heavily trying to buy this race.” Last week, he also lashed out at DCCC’s support for Bains.
“That is exactly why I decided to run,” Villegas said. “People in the Central Valley should pick who their congressional representatives are, not special interest groups.”
Villegas holds a 25% to 21% lead over Bains among voters in the district, according to a poll released Tuesday by the Data for Progress, a left-leaning think tank. Both Democrats trailed Valadao, who had the support of 44% of the respondents.
