National Democrats went on a spending spree in California this week, pouring more than $1.6 million into crowded House races in vulnerable Republican districts they hope to flip this fall.

That spending, which went into the 39th, 48th and 49th District congressional races, signals the Democratic Party’s efforts to lift specific candidates ahead of the June 5 primaries.

Multiple Democratic candidates are running for spots in those districts’ general election, and some party leaders fear that California’s top-two primary system could box liberal candidates off the November ballot. Only the two candidates with the highest number of votes, regardless of party affiliation, move on to the general election.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the Democratic Party’s main fundraising arm that’s focused on electing liberals in the House, put nearly 40 percent of the $1.6 million into the 39th District race in recent days, according to FEC filings analyzed by OpenSecrets. Seventeen candidates, including six Democrats, are running to fill retiring Rep. Ed Royce’s (R-Calif.) seat.

Navy veteran Gilbert Cisneros, one of those six Democrats, got a $285,000 boost from the national party this week. The DCCC spent that money on media, including a California-based marketing consulting firm and digital strategy firm, according to FEC filings.

The committee began airing Spanish-language ads supporting Cisneros on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The DCCC this week committed nearly $350,000 to oppose two Republicans in the race — Bob Huff, a former California state legislator, and Shawn Nelson, a county supervisor. Huff and Nelson have been recent targets of DCCC-backed TV and radio ads, the Los Angeles Times reported, and national Democrats have already spent more than $770,000 attacking the Republicans prior to April 30.

In the 48th District, the DCCC this year has spent over $1 million opposing Republican candidate Scott Baugh. About $485,000 went to a Washington, D.C.-based media consulting firm last Thursday, according to FEC filings.

Baugh, a former state legislator, is running against incumbent Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), whose friendliness toward Russia has drawn criticism from candidates in both parties.

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The DCCC backed real estate executive Harley Rouda in the 48th District race earlier this month as part of its “Red to Blue” effort to flip vulnerable Republican seats nationwide. The committee partnered with Rouda to launch a $400,000 TV ad campaign on Tuesday, Roll Call first reported.

Cisneros was also backed as part of the DCCC’s “Red to Blue” program.

The committee hasn’t yet put money behind a Democrat in the 49th District, but they have begun spending money attacking Republicans.

Rocky Chavez, a conservative state legislator who’s hoping to pick up retiring Rep. Darrell Issa’s (R-Calif.) seat in the 49th District, this week became the target of more than $480,000 in DCCC opposition spending. That’s in addition to the roughly $600,000 the committee previously spent opposing Chavez in this election.

Similar to the other California races, the DCCC’s $480,000 was spent on media firms, according to FEC filings.

In 2016, the DCCC poured more than $2.5 million into 49th District race as part of an unsuccessful attempt to flip the Republican seat. Spending that year began in September, about four months later than in 2018.

Outside groups have put more than $3 million into the 49th District race this election cycle, making it the fifth most expensive House race of 2018.

The DCCC has historically been hands-off in the 39th and 48th District races. The committee hasn’t spent a penny in those districts since 2008, when it spent just $30 on the Democratic candidate in the 39th District race.



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