Democratic-aligned PAC planning record $45M spending on House races in New York

The main Super PAC aligned with House Democrats has announced a $45 million blitz in New York after the party underperformed in the state during the 2022 midterms, helping lead to the slim Republican majority in the House.

The House Majority PAC said this week it was launching the spending plan in New York for the 2024 cycle, pointing to the diminishing returns for the party in the state in the midterm elections.

“In 2022, Democrats across the nation defied a ‘Red Wave’ — instead of losing 30-40 seats, House Democrats outperformed expectations and won nearly every toss up race in the country,” the PAC said in a release. “One of the few exceptions to this historic year was New York.”

Many officials have pointed to districts in New York, a reliably blue state, that flipped from Democratic to Republican in the midterms as the reason why Republicans captured a small House majority. Notably, six districts that President Biden won in 2020 are now represented by a Republican in the House.

The spending blitz will include an influx in billboards, digital communications, mailing, grassroots volunteering, TV ads and voter registration efforts, according to the PAC. 

“The goal is to define freshmen Republican Members before they can define themselves, and that starts with battlefield polling and focus groups to determine Democrats’ most effective messaging and position House Democrats for victory next year,” the release said.

Mike Smith, the president of the group, told The New York Times that the PAC plans to make moves very early in the election cycle.

One of the most obvious targets for Democrats would be Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who represents a Long Island district but has faced an incredibly turbulent early political career over his multiple lies about his background and resume.