Screenshot of the website TraitorDavidValandao.com
Democrats are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking Republican House candidates from the right, with efforts to boost spoiler Libertarian candidates and portray a Republican who voted to impeach Donald Trump as a traitor to the former president.
The big picture: Prominent Democratic groups previously spent millions elevating hard-right Trump backers in key Republican primaries, with the expectation they'd be more beatable in general elections.
Driving the news: Voter Protection Project, a Democratic PAC, is adapting the tactic for next month's general election.
- The group is now using appeals to pro-Trump Republicans to try to chip away at conservative base support in key races.
Why it matters: The tactics show how Democrats have continued to try to undercut the opposition through surreptitious attempts to chip away at their conservative support.
Between the lines: This new effort by the VPP, coming just weeks before Election Day, suggests a Hail Mary effort to ward off Republican gains in key races.
Driving the news: "David Valadao Is A Traitor Who Turned His Back On President Trump To Serve His Own Interests," declares a VPP website devoted to attacking California Rep. David Valadao, who was one of just ten House Republicans to vote for Trump's impeachment.
- "HE EVEN VOTED AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP'S BORDER WALL," declares the website, TraitorDavidValadao.com.
In two other districts, both represented by vulnerable Democratic incumbents, VPP is working to boost spoiler Libertarian candidates.
- Recent VPP mail pieces in Michigan attacked Republican Paul Junge as a "former California banker who went to UC Berkeley" and say he "supports raising taxes."
- Junge is taking on Democratic incumbent Dan Kildee in a race that the Cook Political Report recently moved from "toss-up" to "lean Democrat."
- VPP's mailers urge voters to support Libertarian candidate David Canny, who will "stop wasteful spending" and "pass a balanced budget amendment."
A VPP website devoted to attacking Kansas Republican candidate Amanda Adkins, who's challenging Democrat Sharice Davids, describes her as a "typical DC swamp creature" who "serves the interests of the DC elites."
- It urges votes for Libertarian candidate Steve Hohe, who will "crack down on illegal immigration" and "eliminate the federal income tax."
VPP has spent nearly $700,000 on mailers and digital ads attacking those three Republicans or boosting their third-party rivals, according to Federal Election Commission records.
- VPP's website says it is "leading the charge against Republicans at the state and federal level who seek to suppress our right to vote by taking electoral action."
- Its top donor this cycle is the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which is made up entirely of Democrats.
- VPP did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its new ads.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to VPP as the Voter Participation Project, rather than the Voter Protection Project.