Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)Template:Efn is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body.<ref name=Bowden>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The DCCC recruits candidates, raises funds and organizes races in districts expected to yield politically notable or close elections. The committee consists of the Chairperson (who according to Democratic Caucus rules is a fellow member of the caucus appointed by the party leader in the House), their staff, and other Democratic members of Congress in various executive roles.

The Chairperson of the DCCC is the sixth-ranking position among House Democrats, after the Speaker, the Majority Leader, the Majority Whip, the House Assistant Democratic Leader, and the Democratic Caucus Chairperson. The current chair is Suzan DelBene of Washington, who assumed the position in 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

HistoryEdit

Template:United States House of Representatives The DCCC was created in 1866 as the Democratic National Congressional Committee. Due to the reform of campaign finance legislation in 2004, the DCCC divides its activities among two organizations prior to Election Day:

One organization (the "Coordinated" campaign) continues to work on congressional campaigns, offering relevant campaign advice.
The other organization (the "Independent Expenditure" campaign), makes independent expenditures in congressional districts on behalf of the campaigns but is not allowed to coordinate activities with the campaigns.

In recent elections, the DCCC has played an expansive role in supporting Democratic candidates with independently produced television ads and mail pieces.

Rahm Emanuel assumed the position of DCCC committee chair after the death of the previous chair, Bob Matsui, at the end of the 2004 election cycle. Emanuel led the Democratic Party's successful effort to capture the majority in the House of Representatives in the 2006 elections. After Emanuel's election as chair of the Democratic Caucus, Chris Van Hollen became committee chair for the 110th Congress and the 2008 elections. He continued through the 2010 elections. Steve Israel served as chair for the 2012 and 2014 election cycles.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> For the 2016 election cycle, Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi appointed congressman Ben Ray Luján to serve as the committee's chair. Luján was selected to serve again for the 2018 election cycle.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

For the 2020 and 2022 election cycles, DCCC chairs were elected by the caucus, rather than selected by the party leader.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After the 2022 election cycle, the Democratic caucus voted to return to having the position be appointed by the leader.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2022, workers at the DCCC announced they were forming a union affiliated with the Teamsters. Their union was immediately voluntarily recognized.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

ControversyEdit

Consultant blacklistEdit

After Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won her upset congressional victory over Joe Crowley in 2018, the DCCC implemented a policy blacklisting consultants who worked for primary opponents of Democratic Party incumbents. Highly unpopular among progressives, the organization rolled back the policy in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Primary preferencesEdit

In the 2018 election cycle, the DCCC released negative information about candidate Laura Moser, who ran for US Congress in Texas' 7th congressional district.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The move backfired, as Moser gained donations and support en route to making the runoff before falling short against Lizzie Fletcher.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A month after the attack on Moser, the DCCC showed preference in another Texas primary, supporting Colin Allred.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The decisions were two among many similar choices made by the organization throughout its history.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Similar criticism carried into the next election cycle, prompting Progressive Caucus member Ro Khanna to say:

This unprecedented grab of power is a slap in the face of Democratic voters across the nation. It's something even Rahm Emanuel would not have done and is totally tone-deaf to the grassroots activists across our nation. Voters are sick of the status quo holding on to power and stifling new voices. They are sick of D.C. politicians who care more about holding on to power than a true competition of ideas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Russian hackingEdit

In July 2016, the DCCC said it was hacked.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Subsequently, a person described as a hacker and known as "Guccifer 2.0" (Russian Main Intelligence Directorate persona) reportedly released documents and information that were obtained from the cyberattack on the DCCC.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Supporting election denier opponentsEdit

In the 2022 primary cycle, the DCCC assisted Republican candidates that supported the claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. This assistance took the form of attack ads aired during Republican primaries, the content of which ostensibly decried the further-right candidate's election denialism and other views described as "dangerous", with the aim of making that candidate more appealing to Republican primary voters. It was hoped that those more extreme Republican candidates would be more vulnerable to defeat in the subsequent general election. For instance, in Michigan, they aired ads supposedly against John Gibbs, a far-right challenger to incumbent Peter Meijer, who had voted to impeach Donald Trump in the second impeachment.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gibbs ultimately lost in the general election to Democratic candidate Hillary Scholten.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Guilde line of funds to DCCCEdit

There are specific rules regarding who can donate to the DCCC. An individual can contribute as much as $41,300 ($82,600 per couple) per calendar year to the DCCC's general fund for use at the DCCC's sole discretion. Unless informed by the DCCC of a different allocation, the next $123,900 of an individual's contribution will be for the DCCC's recount fund and all additional amounts, up to the legal limits, will be for the DCCC's building fund.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> For example, in 2023, Srivastava had made several donations totalling almost $290,000 to the DCCC as chairman of Unity Resources Group. It is important to note that certain contributions are prohibited; donations from foreign nationals, federal contractors, national banks, corporations and labor organizations are not permitted.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Donations from Gaurav SrivastavaEdit

In March 2024, the DCCC froze hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from Indian businessman Gaurav Srivastava after he was accused of fraudulently pretending to be associated with the Central Intelligence Agency.<ref name="o684">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2023, Srivastava had made several donations totaling almost $290,000 to the DCCC as chairman of Unity Resources Group. Campaign officials said the funds were placed in escrow, following concerns about their source and legality.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

List of chairsEdit

Name	State	Term of service
Template:Sortname	Wisconsin	1868
Template:Sortname	Kentucky	1878
Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	1880
Template:Sortname	California	1882
Template:Sortname	Maryland	1884
Template:Sortname	West Virginia	1886
Template:Sortname	Alabama	1888
Template:Sortname	New York	1890
Template:Sortname	Wisconsin	1892
Template:Sortname	West Virginia	1894–1896
Template:Sortname	California	1898
Template:Sortname	Tennessee	1900
Template:Sortname	Georgia	1902–1908
Template:Sortname	Missouri	1909–1913
Template:Sortname	Michigan	1913–1917
Template:Sortname	Oklahoma	1917–1921
Template:Sortname	Kentucky	1921–1924
Template:Sortname	Arkansas	1925–1928
Template:Sortname	Tennessee	1928–1935
Template:Sortname	Virginia	1935–1947
Template:Sortname	Ohio	1947–1969
Template:Sortname	Ohio	1969–1971
Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	1971–1973
Template:Sortname	Ohio	1973–1976
Template:Sortname	California	1976–1981
Template:Sortname	California	1981–1987
Template:Sortname	Arkansas	1987–1991
Template:Sortname	California	1991–1995
Template:Sortname	Texas	1995–1999
Template:Sortname	Rhode Island	1999–2001
Template:Sortname	New York	2001–2003
Template:Sortname	California	2003–2005
Template:Sortname	Illinois	2005–2007
Template:Sortname	Maryland	2007–2011
Template:Sortname	New York	2011–2015
Template:Sortname	New Mexico	2015–2019
Template:Sortname	Illinois	2019–2021
Template:Sortname	New York	2021–2023
Template:Sortname	Washington	2023–present