The Democratic Party’s major organizations have had a rough year.
According to Axios, House Democrats have expressed frustration and pushed for changes after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee wasted $500,000 backing a losing candidate in an Arizona congressional primary.
The DCCC’s preferred candidate, Marlene Galán-Woods, lost to former Arizona state Rep. Amish Shah.
Worse yet, Galán-Woods’ defeat marked the third time in 2026 that a DCCC-backed candidate lost a primary after spending six figures on the campaign.
Above all, Democrats — particularly progressive Democrats such as Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ PAC — want the party apparatus to stay neutral in primaries.
“I don’t think they should get involved in primaries — I’ve said that before, I’ve said that directly to them,” Jayapal said.
Moreover, Democratic Reps. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona and Analilia Mejia of New Jersey demanded a formal check on the DCCC. That way, they said, rank-and-file members would enjoy more “input” over how the DCCC spends its money.
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“I just think more input on these decisions is better in general,” Grijalva told Axios.
Likewise, Mejia called for the DCCC to “revisit the way that things are traditionally done and make sure that we have more input.”
“Obviously something needs to change,” an anonymous House Democrat said. “I don’t know if decision by committee is the best route or another option, but I’m all ears.”
House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York appoints the DCCC chair.
Thus far in 2026, Jeffries has had a frustrating experience, one that could damage Democrats’ general-election hopes.
For instance, last month three socialist candidates endorsed by Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City defeated primary opponents backed by Jeffries and the Democratic establishment. Jeffries’ Republican colleagues even had some fun at his expense the next day.
Thus, progressives’ opposition to DCCC spending in primaries has coincided with a socialist wave that threatens to overwhelm the party.
In other words, progressives do not want the DCCC backing establishment candidates to stave off this wave.
“We’re an organization — imagine if there was a non-evil version of the [DCCC] that existed,” gun-control activist and progressive Democrat David Hogg said at the College Democrats of America convention in Washington, D.C., over the weekend. “No offense. Like, we need their funding in general elections, but man, they really know how to pick terrible candidates sometimes.”
“But it’s fine,” Hogg added. “They usually lose.”
In addition to the DCCC, Democrats have expressed frustration with the Democratic National Committee.
In fact, earlier this year the DNC finally published a long-awaited post-2024 “autopsy” report that was so embarrassingly incomplete, even the organization’s widely criticized leadership had to disavow it.
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