Democrats Slam Democrats For 'Rigging' Democrat Primaries
The party that won't stop lecturing America about democracy is once again rigging its own primary by endorsing - thereby biasing voters - towards certain candidates over others. On Monday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) endorsed 12 candidates through its “Red to Blue” program to help Democrats win back the majority in the House of Representatives.
“Today, the DCCC announced the first slate of 12 top-tier candidates added to its highly competitive ‘Red to Blue’ program for the 2026 cycle,” the committee said in a statement. “This initial group of candidates will receive strategic guidance, staff resources, training, and fundraising support to ensure they are in the best possible position to win in November.”
The committee describes the “Red to Blue” program as a “highly competitive and battle-tested DCCC program that arms top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them continue to develop strong campaigns.”
Candidates earn spots in the program by hitting aggressive benchmarks for grassroots engagement, local support, and fundraising.
Now, 17 Democratic congressional candidates are accusing the party's own campaign arm of torching the integrity of the 2026 primary process by interfering with the primary.
According to a joint statement from the snubbed candidates, this early backing by the DCCC “carries significant influence in the primary process —often shaping fundraising pipelines, access, and perceived viability before voters have had the opportunity to evaluate the full field.”
The statement highlighted mounting frustration among Democratic candidates nationwide, who are concerned about the increasingly aggressive pattern of early primary intervention by the DCCC, “a trend they say risks weakening voter trust and diminishing the role of voters in selecting their own nominees.”
"Primaries are not an inconvenience, they are the foundation of democratic legitimacy," the candidates said.
In multiple states and districts, party leadership has signaled preferred candidates well before voters have had the opportunity to evaluate the full field. Through early infrastructure support, fundraising advantages, and institutional backing, these actions show that outcomes are being shaped before ballots are cast.
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Candidates emphasize that their concern is not opposition to party infrastructure or general election strategy. Rather, they argue that legitimacy in the primary depends on fairness and openness in the months prior.
“You cannot argue that democracy is on the ballot in November while narrowing democracy in the primaries from now through August,” the candidates who were passed over argue. “If a candidate is strong, they should be able to earn support in open competition. Protecting them from competition is not confidence.”
DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene defended the committee's picks with an answer that probably made the dissidents even angrier. "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.
"We are just six months away from the primary,” Knapp pointed out. “And it's incredibly frustrating.”
He added. “This is precisely what we've been voicing concerns about as Democrats for years, and it appears we are repeating the same mistakes."
Democrats have faced accusations of rigging elections for years. Last year, Bernie Sanders (I-VT) blasted his own party, accusing Democratic leaders of rigging elections and shutting down any semblance of a fair primary process. He even agreed with the assessment that the party has become “a threat to democracy.”
Sanders showed real grassroots momentum in his 2016 and 2020 presidential bids, but party effectively blocked his path to victory both times. The perception that entrenched establishment figures moved to stop him from upending the status quo has never really gone away — and Sanders himself all but confirmed it.
