Republican-Linked PACs Pour Hundreds of Thousands Into Democratic Primaries

Republican-linked political action committees have flooded Democratic primaries in Maine and Montana with outside spending, drawing sharp pushback from candidates who say the money aims to manipulate primary outcomes. Real Change PAC, a Nebraska-based super PAC, spent over $300,000 on media supporting State Auditor Matt Dunlap and opposing State Senator Joe Baldacci in Maine's 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary. The PAC reported the spending to the Federal Election Commission via Four Ponies Consulting. Similar spending by Real Change PAC has been tracked in New Jersey, Texas, California, and Pennsylvania.

Baldacci and his campaign adviser Jared Bornstein alleged the PAC is a MAGA-connected entity designed to elevate a weaker general election candidate against former Governor Paul LePage. Candidate Jordan Wood, who uses the name Elijah Wood, called it a Trump-aligned group deciding the primary. Dunlap disavowed the support, calling for all outside spending in the race to stop. Candidate Paige Loud noted that while some candidates pledged to reject super PAC money, Baldacci has received backing from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Project 218.

In Montana's U.S. Senate Democratic primary, More Jobs, Less Government — a PAC that spent $22 million supporting Republican Senator Tim Sheehy in 2024 — deployed nearly $700,000 targeting candidates Reilly Neill and Alani Bankhead. The PAC spent $500,000 attacking Neill as soft on immigration and ran ads portraying Bankhead as Trump-friendly, despite Bankhead stating she intends to impeach and jail Donald Trump. More Jobs, Less Government is funded by donors including Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Allen Schwarzman. Meanwhile, Progressive Vet PAC, funded by Jason Carroll through American Values Project PAC, spent $1 million promoting Bankhead and $75,000 opposing Neill.