Ya gotta love it. The party that constantly harps on “defending Democracy” is being accused of “narrowing Democracy” in their own primaries. By candidates of their own.
A group of 17 outsider Democratic congressional candidates launched a veritable public revolt against their own party’s campaign arm this week, issuing a joint statement accusing the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) of undermining the 2026 primary process.
You mean the party that unceremoniously dumped Joe Biden once the jig was up on his mental state and installed Kamala Harris without so much as a single primary vote isn’t a big fan of letting voters decide? The party that rigged Bernie Sanders’ primary against Hillary Clinton in 2016 doesn’t have faith in voters to choose a winning candidate?
Are y’all just as stunned as I am?
The DCCC earlier this week endorsed a dozen fundraising frontrunners in contested House races—such as VA-01, WI-03, and NC-11—through its “Red to Blue” program.
HUGE NEWS! Meet the Democrats who are going to help us flip the House.
The road to the majority runs through these races. Red to Blue starts now! pic.twitter.com/XoxqES2n9c
— DCCC (@dccc) February 23, 2026
READ MORE: CA Dems Rush to Block ICE Near Polls for the Midterms—It Doesn’t Take a Genius to See Why
Opponents of those frontrunners were livid and made it quite clear in their statement.
“Such early institutional backing also carries significant influence in the primary process —often shaping fundraising pipelines, access, and perceived viability before voters have had theopportunity to evaluate the full field,” the coalition of candidates writes.
“We are six months out from a primary … it is absolutely infuriating,” Jason Knapp, a candidate in the aforementioned VA-01 race, told Axios.
It gets much juicier from there, with the group accusing the DCCC of completely subverting the democratic primary process.
“Primaries are not an inconvenience, they are the foundation of democratic legitimacy,” they contend. “Constituents deserve the opportunity to compare ideas, hear open debate, and decide for themselves who will represent them rather than being told who to vote for.”
The other Democrats running in #NC11 aren’t happy with the @dccc putting Jamie Ager on its “Red to Blue” program.
A number of candidates issued a statement saying “You cannot argue that democracy is on the ballot in November while narrowing democracy in
the primaries.” #ncpol https://t.co/KTPrZmb1YC pic.twitter.com/8MLAKzUrKf— Reuben Jones (@ReubenJones1) February 26, 2026
DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-01) defended the early support as a strategic move to back strong general-election contenders capable of reclaiming the House majority.
“These are all strong candidates, they’re the ones who are going to be the general election candidate and they’re the ones that we think can win the general election,” she said.
Got that? It’s all about the prospect of winning, not what their own voters want. We all know they don’t give a rip about who the general election voters want, but to spit on their own? That’s something.
Perhaps the most damning comment of all in the coalition statement is the crisp, clear accusation from the candidates that the DCCC has undermined their own message about defending democracy.
“You cannot argue that democracy is on the ballot in November while narrowing democracy in the primaries from now through August,” they write.
“Voters must choose those nominees freely. Open primaries, transparent processes, and robust debate are not obstacles to victory — they are the path to it.”
To the Democrats, voters are the obstacle.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
Help RedState continue to report on the Democrats’ radicalism and inform voters as our nation faces a crossroads. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
