A political action committee funded largely by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman may be on the brink of launching a primary campaign to oust Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich, and Cori Bush, D-Mo, according to the billionaire’s longtime political advisor, Dmitri Mehlhorn.
Mehlhorn told CNBC that he recently approached the heads of the Mainstream Democrats PAC about the idea of backing a primary effort against the two progressive House lawmakers. Tlaib and Bush are part of the so-called “Squad” that also includes progressive New York Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman.
“I have been asking them [Mainstream Democrats PAC] if there is any possibility of ousting the most extreme members of Congress, and I have been asking about Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib,” Mehlhorn said on Wednesday. Mehlhorn pointed to the two House lawmakers’ critical stance on Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack as the reason they could see a primary effort from the PAC.
Mehlhorn said the conversations have been ongoing over the past month, and based on those communications, he feels hopeful that the PAC will move against Bush and Tlaib.
“I am hopeful that they will come back to me with good news. I would be eager to raise support for that effort,” Mehlhorn explained. He declined to comment further and would not specify who he spoke with from the PAC.
If the Mainstream Democrats PAC run primary candidates against either Tlaib or Bush, it would represent a well-financed effort by some of the wealthiest donors aligned with the Democratic Party to potentially take down two progressive lawmakers.
As a super PAC, Mainstream Democrats can legally raise an unlimited amount of money from individual donors, whereas a campaign can only receive up to $3,300 from a single contributor during a primary or general election fight.
Hoffman has given over $1.5 million to the Mainstream Democrats PAC since it launched during the 2022 congressional midterms, according to Federal Election Commission records. His latest $1 million donation is the top registered donation to the group so far this cycle, as it’s raised just over $1.4 million since the start of the year, according to FEC records.
Other top donors to the PAC include Deborah Simon, the daughter of Simon Property Group co-founder, Mel Simon. She donated $1 million to the PAC last year, according to FEC records. Investors Daniel Benton and Paul Finnegan have each donated $100,000 so far this year, according to the campaign finance records.
Tlaib and Bush faced primary challenges during the 2022 election but went on to get reelected. Bush is already facing a primary fight from St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, who dropped his bid to unseat Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., in order to run against the progressive Democrat. Tlaib has yet to see a primary challenge this cycle.
The PAC did not respond to requests for comment. Hoffman did not return a request for comment.
The possible primary fight would be the latest election cycle that the Mainstream Democrats PAC has moved against candidates from within the Democratic Party.
The Mainstream Democrats PAC helped defeat some progressive Democrats during the 2022 congressional midterms, according to data from the nonpartisan OpenSecrets.
The PAC spent just over $150,000 on advertisements against progressive Nina Turner, who ended up losing in a primary against Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio. They invested just under $750,000 in support of Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas who overcame a primary challenge by progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros.
They also have their own ties to the Democratic Majority for Israel, a pro-Israel organization that runs both a 501(c)(4) and a PAC, which also spent heavily against progressive Democratic candidates for Congress last cycle.
The Democratic Majority for Israel’s nonprofit donated $500,000 to the Mainstream Democrats PAC last year, according to an FEC record. The Intercept reported at the time that Mainstream Democrats and the Democratic Majority for Israel share the same pollster as well as office space.
