Republican-linked PAC money funding Democratic US primaries: Why it matters

Published 23 June 2026 · politics

Republicans and Democrats have both employed tactics to boost weaker rivals ahead of midterms. Political campaign groups linked to the Republican Party in the United

Republicans and Democrats have both employed tactics to boost weaker rivals ahead of midterms. Political campaign groups linked to the Republican Party in the United States have reportedly been funding Democratic candidates in ongoing primaries in an effort to boost “weak” candidates they believe are likely to be defeated by Republicans ahead of midterm elections in November. US media outlets have reported claims of this happening in New Jersey, Maine, Texas, Pennsylvania and Nebraska. The midterms often serve as a litmus test of a US administration’s popularity and can decide which party controls Congress – control that will be vital for the success of US President Donald Trump’s policies for his final two years in office. Democrats are currently a minority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but are pushing to flip the two chambers in November. Here’s what we know about the Republican-linked groups, known as political action committees (PACs), that are believed to be funding Democratic Party candidates What are PACs? PACs (political action committees) are independent organisations that raise funds in order to lobby for or against a political party or candidate during elections. They can be highly influential in US election campaigns and, to a great extent, can determine who gets presented to voters. Originally, PACS, which have existed since 1944, were formed around labour unions or other interests. There are caps on the amount of money a traditional PAC is permitted to raise or donate to a single candidate.

However, in 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that special-interest organisations and unions have the same First Amendment free speech rights as individuals and cancelled limits on independent political spending by such groups. This cleared the way for the creation of so-called “super PACs”, which are able to raise and spend unlimited funds to boost a candidate but are barred from directly funding individuals. These groups are required to file financial reports with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) disclosing funding sources. But the deadlines are post-election, meaning the electorate can only see information about how a PAC has been operating after voting takes place. Parties or lobby groups have also been known to create “pop-up” – of fake – super PACS to funnel money to a campaign while hiding their identities. Some call this type of funding “dark money”. The highly popular – and controversial – American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), for example, is linked to the super PAC United Democracy Project and lobbies heavily for military and diplomatic support for Israel. On Monday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused AIPAC of supporting what he called an “unjust” status quo in Gaza through “dark money”. “I think that it is important…how such death and destruction happens overseas, we also name those who allow it to take place,” he said. Are Republican super PACs supporting Democrats? New super PAC submissions to the FEC over the weekend indicated that two “pop-up” super PACS were spending heavily on Democratic primaries in several states.