Scoop: Dems beef with party leaders over snubbed Black candidates

Zoom in: Some Black lawmakers have taken their concerns to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and DCCC chair and Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) about the lack of Black candidates on the DCCC's "Red to Blue" list, according to a senior aide to a House Democrat.

• Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) spoke personally with DelBene about the lack of Black candidates on Red to Blue, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The intrigue: The dearth of Black representation was a hot topic of conversation among legislators at the Congressional Black Caucus' annual conference in D.C. in September, three people told Axios.

• "Members were openly talking about it, and they were pissed," said one Democratic operative.
• "Red to Blue" provides fundraising and staffing assistance to contenders in swing districts.

The intrigue: Their push comes as some legislators argue that Democrats should do more to support Black candidates in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling that could threaten Black representation in Congress.

• Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), a CBC member, told Axios that "with the CBC under attack through gerrymandering and voter suppression, it's essential that the party invest in Black candidates."
• In particular, she urged the DCCC to help Justin Pearson, a Black candidate running in a long-shot bid for Tennessee's 9th House District.
• "Justin Pearson is an exceptional candidate who has proven that coalition-building and community-centered campaigns can make strides — even with the odds stacked against him," she said. "He is exactly the type of candidate the DCCC should be investing in."

Yes, but: Other CBC members say the party must be hard-nosed about its spending in 2026's final stretch, and that Black candidates such as Pearson and Raymond Smith in North Carolina's 3rd District are simply in territory that is too favorable to Republicans to warrant a serious investment.

• "Jeffries, CBC PAC, DCCC, etc. can absolutely not be poor fiduciaries and spend money on races that are not attainable," one House Democrat told Axios in a text.
• Added this lawmaker: "We need to make sure, next cycle, that we do a better job of recruiting Black candidates ... in actual Red to Blue seats. Not seats we wish were Red2Blue."
• Some Democrats acknowledge that Pearson and Smith are facing an uphill battle in red districts. However, they argue, the DCCC has other ambitious races on its "Red to Blue" list that Cook Political Report rates solidly Republican and likely Republican, respectively.

The big picture: Jeffries was asked at a press conference on Wednesday about the lack of Black candidates in the "Red to Blue" program.

• Jeffries said it is "largely a result of, you know, the primary process — there were in fact not a lot of candidates who stepped forward in these competitive districts."
• He also defended the DCCC's record of supporting frontline Black candidates, such as Reps. Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio) and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.).
• "When I came into Congress, I think there were 38 members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Right now, there are 62," he said. "That's because the DCCC has actually partnered with the Congressional Black Caucus political action committee to grow the number of members of the CBC in districts that are overwhelmingly white."

What they're saying: "The CBC is in lockstep with Leader Jeffries," said CBC PAC spokesperson Chris Taylor in a statement.

• "At his direction, the DCCC has backed our shared commitment to recruiting and investing to elect Black candidates and reach Black voters with real investment. Together, we will deliver the Democratic majority and make Hakeem Jeffries Speaker."
• "We have enjoyed a strong partnership with the CBC PAC," said DCCC executive director Julie Merz in a statement. It noted that the group "began investing in talking to and organizing Black voters in key districts earlier than ever this election cycle."

Between the lines: This is not the first time the DCCC has caught heat from House Democrats' internal factions this year for its strategic decision-making.

• Members of the Congressional Hispanic and Progressive Caucuses raged at the House Democratic campaign arm in June for spending $135,000 against a CHC- and CPC-backed primary candidate.

What's next: The DCCC's "Red to Blue" slate is ever-evolving, and there have been rumblings in Democratic circles in recent weeks that some Black candidates may soon be added to the program.

• Jeffries said Wednesday that there "emerging opportunities in places throughout the South that we're closely monitoring."
• A source familiar with the DCCC's planning said it expects to expand the battlefield further.