{"id":1513778,"date":"2022-06-13T14:19:18","date_gmt":"2022-06-13T18:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1513778"},"modified":"2022-06-13T14:19:24","modified_gmt":"2022-06-13T18:19:24","slug":"democrats-boost-preferred-republican-candidates-in-key-primaries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-boost-preferred-republican-candidates-in-key-primaries\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats Boost Preferred Republican Candidates In Key Primaries"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrats-boost-preferred-republican-candidates-in-key-primaries%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1513778&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p>Democrats across the country are spending millions of dollars in an effort to promote Republican candidates that they believe will be weaker in November\u2019s general elections, an analysis of campaign finance records shows.<\/p>\n<p>While the Republican Governors Association (RGA) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) have not spent money in primaries without an incumbent, the Democrats\u2019 campaign arm, the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) has picked up the slack. The DGA is spending more than $17 million in several GOP gubernatorial primaries to promote candidates that Democrats believe will be easier to beat, and outside groups have chipped in millions more in Senate races. Many of the promoted GOP candidates have claimed that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, while their opponents are supported by local and statewide Republican organizations.<\/p>\n<p>The DGA has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/illinois-playbook\/2022\/06\/09\/irvin-pulls-back-on-downstate-ads-00038399\">spent<\/a> more than $15 million on advertising on Republican candidates in the Illinois governor\u2019s race, the most it has disbursed in any GOP primary so far. The ads have generally sought to portray state Sen. Darren Bailey as too conservative for the state, messaging that would increase his support in a close primary against Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin. Despite <a href=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/politics-3\/poll-irvin-bailey-emerge-as-frontrunners-in-gop-primary\/\">trailing<\/a> for most of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagobusiness.com\/juice\/richard-irvin-leading-illinois-gop-governors-race-over-darren-bailey-crains-juice\">race<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/chicago.suntimes.com\/elections\/2022\/6\/10\/23161925\/sun-times-wbez-poll-republican-downstate-farmer-bailey-double-digit-lead-aurora-mayor-irvin-governor\">poll<\/a> conducted by the Chicago Sun-Times found Bailey leading Irvin 32%-17%, with 27% of voters undecided.<\/p>\n<p>The DGA-funded ads have noted Irvin\u2019s career as a defense attorney, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PhAjxEaG2z4\">accusing<\/a> him of \u201cgetting rich while putting violent criminals back on our streets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBailey opposes sensible gun control, and says he\u2019ll support the Second Amendment at all costs,\u201d another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S-QsHe2qC_s\">ad<\/a> claims. \u201cBailey proudly embraces the Trump agenda, calling into question our elections and fighting for gun owners and the unborn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>WATCH:<\/strong><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n<p>The DGA has also spent heavily against Clark County, Nevada, sheriff <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/06\/28\/nevada-sheriff-run-governor-sisolak-joe-lombardo\/\">Joe Lombardo<\/a>, who is considered the favorite to take on Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak in what is expected to be one of the closest races in the country. <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2022\/02\/10\/nevada-governor-drops-mask-mandate-ahead-of-gubernatorial-race\/\"><strong>(RELATED: Nevada Gov. Sisolak Drops Mask Mandate Ahead Of \u2018Toss-Up\u2019 Gubernatorial Race)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/host2.adimpact.com\/admo\/#\/viewer\/4332fa23-6fed-4aaa-93ef-d5cdecb280f0\/\">ads<\/a> have highlighted crime increases in Clark County and Las Vegas, both of which are part of Lombardo\u2019s jurisdiction. DGA is spending $2.1 million on the ads up through Tuesday\u2019s primary, The Nevada Independent <a href=\"https:\/\/thenevadaindependent.com\/article\/democratic-groups-spend-millions-to-meddle-in-gop-governor-primary\">reported<\/a>, claiming that Lombardo is more interested in burnishing his political profile than combating gang violence and drug trafficking.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DemGovs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DemGovs<\/a>-linked PAC (A Stronger Nevada) going after <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoeLombardoNV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@JoeLombardoNV<\/a> ahead of the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/nvgov?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#nvgov<\/a> primary election has upped its total ad reservation &#038; is now spending $2.1 million on TV ads ahead of the June primary. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EpsTUuvRww\">pic.twitter.com\/EpsTUuvRww<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Riley Snyder (@RileySnyder) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RileySnyder\/status\/1524818697595916295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 12, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Murders in Clark County increased 49% in 2021, and property crimes increased 11%, Lombardo <a href=\"https:\/\/news3lv.com\/news\/local\/las-vegas-nevada-crime-rates-were-up-on-a-rise-in-2021-last-year-but-sheriff-lombardo-says-progress-made-metro-police-department\">announced<\/a> in February.<\/p>\n<p>The DGA\u2019s opposition to Lombardo serves to boost attorney and former boxer Joey Gilbert, a first-time candidate who is <a href=\"https:\/\/thenevadaindependent.com\/article\/poll-lombardo-maintains-gop-governor-primary-lead-lg-and-sos-races-remain-close\">polling<\/a> 13 points behind the sheriff. Gilbert has received <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/joeygilbertinc\/status\/1458922916830138379\">support<\/a> from disgraced National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, and was previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/sports\/boxing\/news\/story?id=3055380\">suspended<\/a> by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after testing positive for steroids and methamphetamine.<\/p>\n<p>Betsy Johnson, an independent candidate and former Democrat running in Oregon, has also received support from DGA. The national organization <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.sos.state.or.us\/orestar\/cneSearch.do?cneSearchButtonName=search&#038;cneSearchFilerCommitteeId=21885&#038;OWASP_CSRFTOKEN=7K6H-S5T7-SIIK-ZFCG-IB1K-YTZ5-7QY9-FKLI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">contributed<\/a> $65,500 to Oregonians for Ethics, a political action committee <a href=\"https:\/\/oregoniansforethics.com\/\">dedicated<\/a> to blasting Johnson as \u201csiding with extreme politicians.\u201d Both the DGA and Oregonians for Ethics are reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opb.org\/article\/2022\/04\/11\/democrat-backed-pac-to-highlight-betsy-johnson-conservative-record\/\">hoping<\/a> that Republican voters will support Johnson over Republican nominee Christine Drazan.<\/p>\n<p>A recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.koin.com\/news\/elections\/new-poll-finds-oregon-governors-race-neck-and-neck-between-drazan-kotek\/\">poll<\/a> showed Drazan leading Democratic nominee Tina Kotek by two points, with Johnson in third place garnering 19% support.<\/p>\n<p>In some cases, Democratic candidates themselves are funding ads promoting GOP challengers. Democratic Pennsylvania gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro\u2019s campaign funded <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AdImpact_Pol\/status\/1522622327317569536\">ads<\/a> highlighting Republican Doug Mastriano\u2019s positions on abortion and false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. Mastriano illegally <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/07\/27\/trump-supporter-back-the-blue-shirt-charged-jan-6\/\">entered<\/a> the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot and was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/pittsburgh\/news\/doug-mastriano-willing-to-talk-to-jan-6-committee-spoke-to-fbi\/\">interviewed<\/a> by the FBI.<\/p>\n<p>Shapiro defended the decision to boost Mastriano, telling CNN\u2019s Dana Bash that the Republican\u2019s extensive lead in his party\u2019s primary meant that it was not too soon to start campaigning for the general election. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2022\/01\/27\/john-fetterman-josh-shapiro-joe-biden-poll-numbers-pennsylvania\/\">(RELATED: Pennsylvania Democrats Ditch Biden Event As His Poll Numbers Tank)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat we did was start the general election campaign and demonstrate the clear contrast, the stark differences between he and I,\u201d Shapiro <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/politics\/2022\/05\/22\/shapiro-full.cnn\">claimed<\/a>. \u201cHe is a danger, the contrast couldn\u2019t be clearer. We got a jump-start on the general election and we will continue to point out those clear differences.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Candidates frequently attempt to promote opponents who they believe are too extreme to win election, a strategy that has historically had mixed results. Then-Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/claire-mccaskill-todd-akin-missouri-senate-campaign-ad-2012-8\">promoted<\/a> Republican Rep. Todd Akin as \u201cthe most conservative congressman\u201d ahead of their 2012 general election in Missouri, a race she <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/United_States_Senate_elections_in_Missouri,_2012\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">won<\/a> by 15 points after Akin <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2012\/08\/20\/todd-akin-refuses-to-drop-senate-bid-amid-legitimate-rape-outrage-audio\/\">claimed<\/a> that women can not become pregnant due to \u201clegitimate rape.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton frequently highlighted Donald Trump\u2019s candidacy out of a desire to avoid a matchup against Sen. Marco Rubio or Gov. Jeb Bush, both of Florida.<\/p>\n<p>A campaign memo described Trump as a \u201c\u2018pied piper\u2019 candidate who actually represent[s] the mainstream of the Republican Party,\u201d and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/magazine\/story\/2016\/11\/hillary-clinton-2016-donald-trump-214428\/\">urged<\/a> Democratic National Committee members to portray him as such.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats across the country are spending millions of dollars in an effort to promote Republican candidates that they believe will be weaker in November\u2019s general elections, an analysis of campaign<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1513778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1513778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1513778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1513778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1513778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1513778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1513778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}