Democrats scramble to contain their Maureen Galindo problem
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Maureen Galindo and Johnny Garcia speak at a TX-35 Democratic candidate forum in San Antonio on May 6. Photo: Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images
House Democrats are in a mad dash to isolate Texas Democratic congressional candidate Maureen Galindo, who has said she wants to turn an ICE facility into a "prison for American Zionists."
Why it matters: A mysterious PAC is spending hundreds of thousands to boost Galindo, which Democrats allege is a Republican attempt to ensure the GOP candidate in that district faces a weak opponent in November.
- "House Republican leadership must immediately cease propping up this antisemitic candidacy," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) said in a statement Tuesday evening.
- Galindo did not respond to multiple requests for comment, with a spokesperson for the Republican-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund declining to say if the GOP is behind PAC spending on her behalf.
The latest: Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said in a joint statement, "If, for some reason, Maureen Galindo wins ... as soon as she is sworn in, we will force a vote to expel her every day she is here."
- "Maureen's insane, antisemitic views — including putting Americans in concentration camps — have no place in our Party or country," they said.
- There is also private pressure on DelBene and the DCCC to spend money to block Galindo from getting the nomination, Axios has learned.
Driving the news: Galindo's campaign wrote in an Instagram post last weekend that, if elected, she would turn the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center into "a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers."
- It's the latest in a series of inflammatory comments by Galindo, who told Axios she would introduce legislation to have "all American candidates and elected officials who have ever taken Israeli money tried for treason."
- Galindo finished first in the Democratic primary in Texas' 35th district in March and is now in a runoff with sheriff's deputy Johnny Garcia.
State of play: Garcia had already been backed by the DCCC, the centrist Blue Dog Coalition and Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) before Galindo's latest comments.
- On Tuesday night, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) denounced Galindo, saying in a post on X that "this bigoted garbage and antisemitism should be nowhere near our politics," and endorsed Garcia.
- Track AIPAC, a left-wing organization that supports anti-Zionist candidates, also pulled its endorsement of Galindo on Tuesday night.
Yes, but: So far, the Lead Left PAC — a cryptic group whose website metadata includes a link to the GOP fundraising website WinRed — is the biggest single spender in the Democratic primary runoff.
- The group has spent nearly $600,000 on the race supporting Galindo, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact.
- That's compared to just under $400,000 spent by the Blue Dog Action PAC and $200,000 by outside liberal group Project 218 in support of Garcia, on top of $68,000 in ads run by Garcia's campaign.
What we're hearing: There has been a behind-the-scenes push for Democratic leadership to take a more active role in trying to sink Galindo's candidacy.
- "Many members have brought issues about this race to DelBene," one House Democrat told Axios, who said they "get the sense that [the DCCC] is going to spend, invest some resources."
- DelBene and members of the Texas delegation have been asking colleagues to donate to Garcia individually, according to multiple lawmakers familiar with the entreaties.
- A second House Democrat who spoke to Axios on the condition of anonymity said it is "unique" for the DCCC to make a "solo ask as opposed to [a] group" ask on behalf of Red to Blue candidates.
