Why Are Democrats Still Backing Trumpists in GOP Primaries?

Democrats paid $435,000 to back a pro-Trump Republican in Michigan—nearly $100,000 more than the candidate himself raised.

On August 2, freshman Rep. Peter Meijer lost the Republican primary for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District to John Gibbs, a challenger backed by former President Donald Trump. Gibbs' victory over Meijer, who voted to impeach Trump, highlights the strange role Democrats are now playing in the GOP's internecine battles.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) funded an ad labeling Gibbs "handpicked by Trump" and "too conservative for west Michigan." While ostensibly an attack, the ad also served to entice Republican primary voters. The DCCC paid $435,000 for the 30-second ad—nearly $100,000 more than Gibbs raised in total contributions. Gibbs beat Meijer by more than 3,000 votes.

For a decade, Meijer's district was represented by Rep. Justin Amash, the Republican-turned-Libertarian who quit the GOP while criticizing Trump and Trumpism. Meijer won the seat in 2020 after Amash chose not to seek reelection, and his single term was characterized by an independent streak reminiscent of his predecessor. Most notably, Meijer was one of only 10 Republicans (and the only freshman) to vote for Trump's impeachment after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Despite Meijer's principled opposition to Trumpism, the DCCC saw Gibbs, a far-right conspiracy theorist who believes the 2020 presidential election was stolen, as preferable because he will be easier to beat in the November general election. Based on similar logic, Democrats have backed Trumpists over centrists in several GOP primaries.

In July, the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) spent $1.2 million on ads targeting Dan Cox, a Republican state delegate in Maryland who attended Trump's pre-riot "Stop the Steal" rally on January 6 and is now running for governor. The DGA's ads said Cox was "handpicked" by Trump and "too conservative for Maryland." He ultimately beat his more moderate Republican opponent by 15 percentage points.

In May, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat running for governor, sponsored an ad describing state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a GOP gubernatorial candidate who was photographed on the Capitol grounds on January 6, as "one of Donald Trump's strongest supporters." Mastriano prevailed over his closest primary competitor by more than 20 points.

These pro-Trump candidates might have won their primaries without help from Democrats, and Democrats may be right that extreme candidates will be unpalatable to the general electorate in November. But it's a risky bet with serious consequences: As Pennsylvania's governor, Mastriano would have the power to appoint a secretary of state who could directly challenge the results of the next presidential election.