On the campaign trail, every Democrat is a "fighter" now
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Texas Democrat Christian Menefee is depicted boxing in a campaign ad run on Jan. 13. Photo: Christian Menefee for Congress
Virtually every Democratic primary candidate this cycle, from the most progressive to the most moderate, wants voters to know one thing: How much of a "fighter" they are.
Why it matters: It is the culmination of a year's worth of liberal grassroots fury over what they see as President Trump's many transgressions and the Democratic establishment's lackluster response.
- In Illinois' 9th House District, all three major candidates — left-wing Kat Abughazaleh, progressive Daniel Biss and AIPAC-backed Laura Fine — had ads labeling them "fighters" and highlighting confrontations they had with ICE. Biss won the March 17 primary.
- Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) ran an ad called "Fighter," which featured the then-candidate in boxing gloves calling himself a "fighter who stands up and wins" and swatting away Trump and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
- His top opponent in that 18th District race last month, fellow Democrat Amanda Edwards, also ran an ad called "Fighter" labeling her "a different kind of fighter — one who delivers for the people" and saying "we need a fighter we can actually trust."
By the numbers: Democratic campaigns and outside groups have run nearly 50 ads as of Thursday featuring the words "fighter" or "fight," backed up by more than $22 million in spending.
- The label has been a fixture of ads run by progressive candidates who want to move the party to the left and vow to pressure leadership to take a more combative stance toward the Trump administration.
- But it has also been used by AIPAC-linked PACs to boost more moderate candidates in those same primaries.
- Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), a centrist who ran unsuccessfully for New Jersey governor, ran an ad called "Born Fighter" featuring AI-generated photos of him boxing with Trump.
What to watch: The term is already cropping up in Democrats' next big contest, the May 19 primary in Pennsylvania's 3rd House District, where more than a half dozen Democrats are competing to succeed retiring Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.).
- Pediatric surgeon and former Biden health official Ala Stanford is a "fighter and a champion," says a new ad funded by 314 Action, a Democratic group that backs candidates with STEM backgrounds.
- "Now's the time for Dr. Ala Stanford to bring her Philly fight direct to Donald Trump," it adds.
