Let's take a look at the hard data
Matt Dunlap defeated a candidate backed by the House Democratic campaign arm and is set to face former Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, in a competitive general election.
House Democratic leadership's preferred candidate in Maine's 2nd district, state Sen. Joe Baldacci, lost his primary to progressive rival Matt Dunlap, state election officials announced early Friday morning.Why it matters: This is the second time this month that a candidate backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has fallen short in their primary.California State Assembly member Jasmeet Bains, the DCCC-backed candidate in California's 22nd district, failed to make it to the general election, losing out to progressive Randy Villegas.The DCCC has sparked considerable tension among House Democrats by intervening in these races, with some lawmakers threatening to withhold their dues to the House Democratic campaign arm.Dunlap, Maine's state auditor, defeated both Baldacci and former congressional staffer Jordan Wood in a ranked-choice primary.Catch up quick: Baldacci was one of several candidates in contested primaries who were added to the DCCC's coveted "Red to Blue" list last month.The program is generally meant to help Democratic candidates in open or Republican-held battleground seats defeat their GOP opponents.But party leadership determined that Baldacci and several other candidates in districts across the country had the best chance of flipping or holding their districts.Yes, but: The DCCC's investment was minuscule compared to how much they spent in other primaries in California, Texas and Pennsylvania.They ran a $7,500 joint ad buy with Baldacci, whose own campaign spent nearly $250,000 on ads, according to AdImpact.Outside group Real Change PAC, which has suspected ties to Republicans, spent $500,000 on ads attacking Baldacci.What's next: Dunlap will face off with Republican former Gov. Paul LePage in the race to succeed Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine).The district is seen as one of the GOP's top potential pickups in November, having gone for President Trump by nine percentage points in 2024.
A neighborhood bar in Washington, D.C., is running a deal that could score customers a free tab during Team USA’s World Cup match against Australia on Friday afternoon. The deal is the result of a partnership with the bar TallBoy and prediction market platform Kalshi, and the promotion increases based on the number of goals…
Both emerged from the state’s ranked choice voting process early Friday morning.
For several years, I've been debating with a close friend (who happens to be a pre-Trump Republican) about whether the Democrats habitually cheat in elections.
Washington, D.C., City Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist, has won the Democratic primary for mayor, NBC News projects, putting her in line to manage the capital city and its relationship with President Donald Trump
The rise is fueled by a backlash to Trump policies, economic strain and fatigue with the Democratic establishment. A possible win in Washington, D.C., might be next.
The past year has seen several self-identified democratic socialists prevail in key local races. But what exactly does it mean to be a democratic socialist?