WASHINGTON — Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee, who is expected to announce a presidential run in the coming days, appears set to become the first 2020 Democratic presidential contender to accept the help of a candidate-specific super PAC. Inslee, who plans to focus his bid on his decadeslong passion for combating climate change, will be the first governor to enter the contest to challenge President Donald Trump. He’s announced a series of staff hires in recent days and alluded to an imminent announcement in a Thursday afternoon Twitter missive.

A nice day for serenity, peace, and getting your ducks in a row… pic.twitter.com/E3X5m5kctx — Jay Inslee (@JayInslee) February 28, 2019

Part of the run-up to Inslee’s announcement was the formation of a super PAC, Act Now On Climate, to support his bid if he runs. The group is helmed by former Democratic Governor’s Association political director Corey Platt. Inslee was chair of the DGA in 2018 and has hired other former association staffers for his campaign. “He’ll be the person to say ‘[Climate change] is the number one priority,’” Platt told HuffPost. “We’re here to amplify and support his candidacy.” Super PACs, which can collect unlimited donations and spend them on behalf of a candidate, provided they don’t directly coordinate the spending with the candidate’s campaign, are controversial in Democratic politics, with the party’s primary electorate increasingly skeptical of the influence of big money on policy-making. The unpopularity of super PACs creates a conundrum for donors and operatives: Is the money the groups raise to fund ads and field programs worth fielding off criticism from progressive groups? Nearly every 2016 Republican presidential contender had a super PAC. So far, only two have emerged in the 2020 Democratic field: Act Now On Climate and Dream United, which was formed earlier this month to back Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Booker’s campaign has said he doesn’t want super PAC support, but wouldn’t directly call for Steve Phillips, the wealthy Democratic operative and former Booker classmate who founded the group, to shut it down. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and other progressives have called on Democratic presidential campaigns to disavow their support, and most other presidential campaigns have said they don’t want any support from super PACs.

The unpopularity of super PACs creates a conundrum for donors and operatives: Is the money the groups raise to fund ads and field programs worth fielding off criticism from progressive groups?