DCCC Redboxes Instruct Super PACs to Boost Spoiler Candidates

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is directing allied super PACs to promote minor and independent candidates in five key House races, according to a review of its public messaging guides. Axios identified references to these third-party candidates in the DCCC's "redboxes," which are publicly available webpages that outline ad copy and target voter demographics for outside groups. This strategy allows Democrats to siphon votes from Republican opponents without direct coordination that would violate campaign finance laws.

The DCCC's redboxes contain specific language encouraging super PACs to highlight the conservative or anti-government credentials of minor candidates in four of the five districts. In Colorado's 5th District, the guide instructs PACs to show registered Republicans under age 55 ads featuring Christopher Mitchell, a libertarian, as the "true conservative" running for Congress. For Virginia's 2nd District, the DCCC targets white, college-educated men with messaging that independent J. Matt Baker is a "staunch supporter of the 2nd amendment" who will "defend our constitution." Similarly, in Virginia's 5th District, the committee directs ads to the same demographic about independent Cooke Harvey, stating he "will fight for Virginia's farmers against big government." In Nevada's 2nd District, the redbox tells PACs to inform Republican women that American Independent Party candidate Lynn Chapman "has spent decades fighting for conservative values."

In several instances, the DCCC also urges super PACs to steer Democratic and left-leaning voters away from minor candidates who might split the vote from their own recruits. In Alaska's at-large district, where Democrats back independent Bill Hill, the redbox describes Eric Hafner as a "fake Democrat" despite his ballot listing, noting he is an inmate in New York with no clear ties to Alaska. The guide for Virginia's 2nd District directs PACs to attack the progressive credentials of independent candidate Geral D. "Bishop" Staten. It instructs that Black voters should hear that Staten claimed he would support Donald Trump in the 2024 election and referred to President Obama as a "puppet and a clown," although Staten has denied supporting Trump.

Redboxes have become a standard tool in the post-Citizens United era for campaigns to provide messaging guidance to outside groups with limited local knowledge. The National Republican Congressional Committee maintains its own public redboxes but does not appear to use them to boost spoiler candidates. Other examples of parties promoting spoiler candidates have occurred this year, including in party primaries. The campaign for Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) used a redbox to promote Republican Zachariah Wooden, aiming to keep progressive challenger Mai Vang out of the general election. Democrats recently sued to remove a Green Party candidate from the ballot in Pennsylvania's 7th District, alleging they were a GOP plant, while Republicans in Alaska failed to remove unaffiliated candidate Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot.