David Hogg's PAC leaves some Dem campaigns fuming
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David Hogg speaks at WIRED's "The Big Interview in San Francisco, Calif., on Dec. 4, 2025. Photo: Kimberly White/Getty Images for Wired
Leaders We Deserve, the PAC founded by David Hogg to elect young progressives in Democratic primaries, is leaving some of the campaigns it endorsed griping about alleged broken promises.
Why it matters: Multiple campaigns backed by Hogg's PAC fumed after primary losses that the group dangled hopes of financial commitments that never materialized.
- First it was Irene Shin: The Washington Post reported last July that Leaders We Deserve backed off a commitment to spend $400,000 on the 38-year-old Virginia state delegate's behalf in a U.S. House special election that was won by now-Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.).
- Now sources close to the campaign of Robert Peters, a 40-year-old Illinois state senator who finished a distant third in the primary to succeed Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), are telling a similar story.
- Leaders We Deserve is defending their strategy, arguing that it would be foolish to spend money on candidates they believe will lose by a landslide no matter how much they invest.
What we're hearing: The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid professional retaliation, told Axios the group initially expressed enthusiasm after endorsing Peters in May and said he would be a top priority.
- Leaders We Deserve, the sources said, promised the Peters campaign a "sizable investment" and told an ally of the campaign they would spend $1 million on his behalf and make a public announcement to that effect.
- In October, the campaign was told that Leaders We Deserve would not be investing in the race, according to the sources and Leaders We Deserve.
- The sources close to the Peters campaign also said Leaders We Deserve encouraged them to take steps to moderate their image, including writing a position paper for AIPAC and not taking an endorsement from Justice Democrats.
The other side: "Leaders We Deserve was proud to endorse Robert Peters, worked closely with his campaign, helped pay for two polls, and found that there was absolutely no path to victory for him in IL-02," said Leaders We Deserve spokesperson Matilda Bress.
- "Robert's unfortunate 28-point loss confirms that our choice not to spend heavily in his race was the correct one. Our over 250,000 small-dollar donors are counting on us to make smart investments in fights we can win, not light millions on fire."
- Bress also said Leaders We Deserve is "proud to be partners with Justice Democrats, an organization that has stood strong against special interests and status quo politics. They've been a leader in the progressive space, and we're working closely with them on several key campaigns."
- Multiple progressive operatives told Axios that Leaders We Deserve has undergone leadership changes since their initial dealings with the Peters campaign, and the group has taken a more unequivocally anti-AIPAC stance in recent months.
What happened: Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller ultimately won the Illinois 2nd district Democratic primary with over 40% of the vote, with former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. garnering 29%.
- Peters, who was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a slew of other progressive groups, earned just 12% of the vote.
- On paper Peters should have been competitive: He raised $1.1 million (as of Feb. 25) to Miller's $2 million and Jackson's $300,000.
- But public polling of the race in July and December showed Peters languishing in the single digits, and outside groups spent heavily to boost Miller in the final stretch of the campaign.
Zoom in: Several Leaders We Deserved-backed candidates who won their races — or came close — praised the group in statements to Axios.
- Nida Allam, who narrowly lost her bid to unseat Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.), said Leaders We Deserve's $400,000 in ad buys supporting her "kept us competitive against millions in last-minute spending from corporate dark-money groups."
- Demi Palecek, who won a hotly contested primary for the Illinois state House, told Axios: "Not only did they invest over $110,000, but David came to my community in Illinois, not once but twice, to knock doors, hold events, and fire up our team of incredible volunteers!"
- Akbar Ali, a 22-year-old who won a special election to the Georgia state House in December, said: "I'm the youngest state legislator in Georgia General Assembly history thanks to the investment, energy, and time Leaders We Deserve spent backing our campaign."
