A number of progressive groups are escalating their battle against the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) following the committee's recent efforts to undermine left-wing candidates running for office.
Justice Democrats, a group organized by former members of Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign; CREDO Action, a group with over five million activists; and Our Revolution, also a group that grew from the Sanders movement, have launched numerous petitions aimed at Ben Ray Lujan (D., N.M.), the chairman of the DCCC, telling him to "stop undermining progressive values."
The DCCC earlier this week released an opposition research file on Laura Moser, who is running in the Democratic primary for Texas's 7th congressional district. The file was released just one week before the primary.
The groups additionally note that the DCCC "has endorsed zero black candidates" in their red-to-blue program, and that the committee is advising candidates and officials to stray away from talking about a single-payer health care system.
"The DCCC has lost touch with its base. Despite facing continued losses, they have yet to realize that the path to the majority requires supporting diverse candidates who hold progressive values," said Nina Turner, president of Our Revolution. "The majority of Democrats, and many independent voters, support Medicare for All and banning assault rifles. Our party leaders would do well to follow the examples of House members like Reps. Keith Ellison, Tulsi Gabbard, Raul Grijalva, and Pramila Jayapal. Progressives are ready to organize to win back the House but we need a party that is willing to take a stand, not run to the right."
"We will not create the world we believe in unless elected officials are willing to take clear, unequivocal stands for progressive values," added Heidi Hess, the co-director of CREDO Action. "Right now, the DCCC's advice to candidates and its failure to fully embrace candidates of color is standing in the way of progress. That's why we’re demanding that the DCCC immediately stop its shortsighted and unhelpful attacks on progressive values."