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A new report from the New York Times highlights the millions of dollars Kevin McCarthy and his super PAC lit on fire failing to influence GOP primaries. CLF and the NRCC sought to intervene in a number of races, yet the extreme, unelectable candidates they sought to stop emerged as the GOP nominees in key swing districts.
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CLF spent $2.3 million to boost NH-01 candidate Matt Mowers, but GOP firebrand and extremist Karoline Leavitt won anyway.
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CLF spent nearly $600,000 to stop NC-01 nominee and accused domestic abuser Sandy Smith from winning, in hopes the NRCC-endorsed candidate Sandy Roberson would be the nominee.
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CLF poured $1 million into NY-22 to boost candidate Steve Wells, but anti-choice extremist Brandon Williams won out.
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CLF spent nearly $200,000 in AZ-04 to boost Tanya Wheeless but election denier and January 6 sympathizer Kelly Cooper emerged as the nominee.
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McCarthy aligned super PAC Take Back the House 2022 tried to save Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03), but white supremacist sympathizer Joe Kent won the nomination.
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Despite not getting involved, House Republicans are stuck with J.R. Majewski, who lied about his military service and attended the January 6th insurrection, in OH-09.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg – other examples of the GOP failing to bring their preferred candidates across the finish line include:
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CO-07 nominee Erik Aadland beating NRCC-backed Tim Reichert.
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GA-02 nominee Chris West beating NRCC-backed Jeremy Hunt.
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NJ-05 nominee Frank Pallotta beating NRCC-backed candidate Nick De Gregorio
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NV-01 nominee Mark Robertson beating NRCC-backed David Brog and NRCC-backed Carolina Serrano
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NV-04 nominee Sam Peters beating NRCC-backed Annie Black
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VA-07 nominee Yesli Vega beating out 3 fellow NRCC “On the Radar” candidates. For almost the entire duration of the VA-07 primary, Derrick Anderson — who came in second — was the only candidate backed by the NRCC.
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WA-08 Matt Larkin beating more moderate NRCC-backed candidates who were originally the only Republican candidates supported by the NRCC.
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CA-49 nominee Brian Maryott beating fellow NRCC “On the Radar” candidates Chris Rodriguez and Lisa Bartlett. Rodriguez was originally the only candidate backed by the NRCC, but they later added Maryott.
CLF and the NRCC tried to stop these nominees for a reason – all carry extreme, out-of-touch views that hinder their electability in swing districts. Read more from the New York Times.
DCCC spokesperson Tommy Garcia:
“After Washington Republicans ineptly failed to defeat flawed MAGA extremists, they flip-flopped and endorsed them because they care about one thing: power for themselves. The House majority will be won district-by-district and running with the weakest and most extreme candidates in swing districts will cost the GOP.”
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