DCCC’s Robust 18-Month Investment In Staff, First Ever DCCC West Office, Voter Registration, GOTV & Persuasion Ads Has Expanded Map into Traditional GOP Territory
The DCCC’s early, robust investment in California has resulted in a massive battlefield of 10 Republican-held target districts ahead of next week’s June 5th primary. More than a year ago, the DCCC recognized the energy and opportunity in the Golden State and began investing in key California districts, and those efforts have only grown and allowed Democrats to expand into traditional GOP strongholds like Orange County, CA and parts of the Central Valley.
Due to the historic number of qualified and well-funded Democratic candidates, the unexpected retirements of Reps. Royce and Issa, and the unique weakness of Rohrabacher’s candidacy, the serious risk of being shut out of California’s top-two primary system looms over multiple races. To directly combat this unusual environment, the DCCC’s significant investments in districts, candidates, voter registration and GOTV efforts, and paid advertising are all components of an 18 month-long strategy to ensure Californians have the opportunity to vote for a Democrat in November.
“Standing side-by-side with activists, candidates, and everyday Californians for more than a year, the DCCC is proud to have invested in and opened up new territory for California Democrats ahead of next week’s primary,” said Meredith Kelly, DCCC Communications Director. “California Democrats have organized, marched and fought like hell to hold California Republicans accountable, and they deserve to have a Democrat on the ballot in November who will bring California values to Washington, DC.”
Fast California Facts:
- The DCCC is targeting 10 Republican districts in California, out of 14 total Republicans in the state.
- Secretary Clinton won 7 of those targeted districts
- Three Democrats – TJ Cox (CA-21), Gil Cisneros (CA-39) & Harley Rouda (CA-48) – are on the DCCC Red to Blue program
- The DCCC has invested in:
- Office & senior staff in Irvine, CA
- Field organizers in CA-10, CA-21, CA-25, CA-39, CA-45, CA-48, CA-49
- Voter registration – on the ground & through digital ads – in CA-10, CA-21, CA-25, CA-39, CA-45, CA-48, CA-49
- Robust voter turnout efforts for primaries in CA-10, CA-39, CA-48, CA-49
- Television, radio and digital persuasion ads in English and Spanish in CA-39 (Pro-Cisneros Spanish, Anti-Nelson & Anti-Huff), CA-48 (Pro-Rouda & Anti-Baugh), and CA-49 (Anti-Chavez)
See below for an overview of DCCC efforts in California over the last 18 months:
SET SIGHTS ON KEY GOP DISTRICTS IN JANUARY 2017
Los Angeles Times: Democrats target 7 congressional seats held by California Republicans for 2018 midterm elections
“The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has released a list of top targets looking ahead to the 2018 elections, and California’s Republican delegation is a big part of it.”
INVESTED EARLY IN CA FIELD ORGANIZERS– IN FEBRUARY 2017
Washington Post: Eyeing the House, Democrats move to hire operatives in 20 GOP-held districts
“The 20 targets include many of the districts where Democrats hoped to unseat Republicans last year — including suburban districts in California, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Colorado. But they are also going into districts represented by veteran GOP lawmakers — such as Reps. John Abney Culberson (Tex.), Peter J. Roskam (Ill.), Edward R. Royce (Calif.) and Pete Sessions (Tex.) — who did not face a strong 2016 challenge but where Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton ended up beating Trump.”
OC Daily: Democrats Organizing Against OC GOP Incumbents
“The DCCC is targeting the every GOP-held congressional seat in Orange County: Representatives Ed Royce, Mimi Walters, Darrell Issa and Dana Rohrabacher.”
Orange County Register: National Democrats to open campaign office in Irvine
“Of the 23 GOP districts that Hillary Clinton won nationwide last year, four are in Orange County. The national party is hoping to flip all 23 of those seats and, 18 months before the general election, two Orange County organizers – hired by the state party with earmarked DCCC funding – are already in place.”
OPENED FIRST EVER DCCC WEST OFFICE IN IRVINE, CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles Times: Democrats moving senior staffers to Orange County in an effort to flip Republican House seats
“The arm of the Democratic Party in charge of winning control of Congress is moving senior staffers from Washington, D.C., to Orange County in hopes of flipping Republican-held House seats out west during the 2018 midterm elections. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is aiming to defeat seven California Republicans…”
LAUNCHED SIX-FIGURE LA RADIO & DIGITAL ADS ON HEALTHCARE REPEAL VOTE
Orange County Register: Will vote to repeal Obamacare work for or against Orange County Republican Congress members in 2018?
“Nationwide, there are 14 Republican House districts that voted for Clinton and have Congress members who voted Thursday for the American Health Care Act. Four of those districts are in Orange County and have already been targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, making the county ground zero for Democratic efforts to gain ground in the House.
“But Democrats nationally upped the ante after Thursday’s vote. The DCCC immediately announced a six-figure internet and radio ad campaign targeting vulnerable Republicans who voted for the AHCA, including the four in Orange County — Reps. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton; Dana Rohrabacher, R-Costa Mesa; Mimi Walters, R-Laguna Beach and Darrell Issa, R-Vista.”
Los Angeles Times: Democrats to run ads targeting California’s House Republicans who voted for healthcare bill
“Democrats on Monday will begin airing a drive-time ad on Southern California radio stations targeting five Republican members of Congress who voted Thursday for the GOP healthcare plan.
“The ad buy, currently scheduled to run for one week on news, sports and Spanish-language stations, is rare this early in the election cycle.”
ARMED CALIFORNIANS WITH NEW DIGITAL ORGANIZING TOOLS
Washington Post: To take back the House, Democrats ‘arm the rebels’ with new tools and manpower
“’When I wanted to do something, I did not go to the Democratic Party; I went to Swing Left,’ said Bonner Meudell, a retiree from Sierra Madre, Calif., volunteering to help unseat Royce. ‘I don’t even know why, but it just never entered my mind to go to the Democratic Party. That didn’t seem as alive.’
“But the training, tools and data provided by the DCCC organizer, Meudell said, have become an integral part of her efforts. ‘I had never set foot canvassing or doing voter registration before April of this year, and now I’m training and leading,’ she said. ‘And I doubt that we would have made this progress without him very gently guiding and leading us.’
EXPANDED CA TARGETED BATTLEFIELD BEYOND CLINTON DISTRICTS
Roll Call: Democrats Expanding Battlefield Into Trump Country (CA-22, CA-50)
“The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Monday added 20 seats to its target list for 2018. The House Democrats’ campaign arm is now going after 79 Republican-held seats in the midterms … In fact, some of these races are on the list because Democrats are optimistic that strong recruits can make them competitive.”
Roll Call: DCCC Adds 11 GOP Targets, including Paul Ryan (CA-04)
“The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added 11 more Republicans to its 2018 target list, [including Tom McClintock]. The DCCC now has its sights on 91 GOP seats next year.”
PROMOTED DEMOCRATS ON DCCC ‘RED TO BLUE’ PROGRAM & OTHER UNITY EFFORTS
Los Angeles Times: DCCC elevates Democrat Gil Cisneros in hopes of uniting Democrats to flip Rep. Ed Royce’s seat
“The move is the latest signal that national Democrats are trying to get activists on the ground to pick a single candidate who can get through California’s tricky top-two primary, which advances the top two vote-getters, regardless of party.”
Bakersfield Californian: TJ Cox named to Democratic program, gains national support against Valadao
“Cox is a community development leader from Fresno County and the only candidate facing Valadao, who has won his Democrat-heavy district three times by healthy margins.”
Los Angeles Times: Fearing another top-two lockout, Democrats give Rohrabacher challenger a boost
“The committee on Friday added Harley Rouda to its Red to Blue program, elevating him over seven other Democrats on the ballot in Rohrabacher’s 48th Congressional District.
“California’s top-two primary allows the two candidates who receive the most votes to advance in the June 5 contest regardless of party, and Democrats are concerned that Rohrabacher and prominent Republican challenger Scott Baugh could both make it into the runoff if the Democratic vote is diluted by a large field.”
The Hill: Dem peace deal reached in crucial House district
“California and national Democrats have brokered an agreement between two House candidates to cease negative campaigning ahead of the June 5 primary in a key race … Bauman, who mediated the agreement, noted that the agreement was also supported by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the House Democrats’ campaign arm.
INVESTED IN SPANISH & ENGLISH ‘GOTV’ – VOTER REGISTRATION, MAILERS, DIGITAL ADS
McClatchy: Dems increase effort to avoid California catastrophe
“The operation from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee includes mailers and digital ads, aimed at registering and turning out the party’s voters in four battleground districts ahead of the June 5 primary.”
CNN: One of Trump’s top California critics could help him hold the House
“…has forced the national Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee into extraordinary exertions to avoid losing these seats to the GOP in June. The party committee has invested heavily in voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts to combat the traditionally low turnout of several key Democratic constituencies during the June primaries. It has successfully leaned on several lower-tier Democratic candidates to drop out, hoping to consolidate the Democratic vote.”
RAN TV ADS TO BOOST DEMS & KNOCK DOWN GOP
Los Angeles Times: DCCC drops first TV ads of 2018, attacking Republicans running for Ed Royce seat
“The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will begin airing ads in one Orange County congressional district on Tuesday, signaling it’s ready to take a more active role in one of the most competitive open House seats in the country.
“According to two media buying sources, the committee is spending nearly $300,000 on cable TV ads, its first to air in any district this midterm season.”
EFE: Demócratas lanzarán anuncio de candidato Gil Cisneros en español
“El Comité Demócrata de Campaña del Congreso (DCCC) tiene previsto comenzar a emitir el martes un anuncio electoral en español en favor del candidato de origen latino Gil Cisneros, quien aspira a alzarse con la candidatura del partido de cara a las elecciones legislativas de noviembre.”
Roll Call: DCCC Launches Joint TV Ad With California’s Harley Rouda
“[Indivisible Orange County 48 Chairman Aaron] McCall mentioned the DCCC’s endorsement of Rouda as he addressed the crowd at the beach on a misty morning. And he implored Rouda supporters to engage in get-out-the-vote efforts, which is especially important in the jungle primary.
The Hill: House Dems boost spending in key California races
“The advertising will start on Tuesday — about a week after ballots were sent out to voters — and will target Republican Rocky Chávez, one of the front-runners in the race to succeed Issa.”