The upcoming midterm elections are heating up. Democrats are trying to hold onto their majorities in the United States Senate and House, while Republicans are hopeful they can take control of both.
The Lincoln Project is vowing to lend a hand to Democrats in some key races around the country, including the Senate race in Ohio. There’s just one problem: Liberals don’t want its help.
The never-Trump political action committee (PAC) was among the most talked-about groups of its kind in the last election cycle. Founded by Republicans, including some with extremely close ties to then-President Donald Trump’s administration, the Lincoln Project received accolades from leftists from the moment it launched in late 2019.
Liberals poured tens of millions of dollars into the super PAC, a significant portion of which went to firms linked to its co-founders. But those donations slowed significantly in the wake of a sex scandal and Trump’s defeat in 2020. (An investigation the Lincoln Project commissioned itself subsequently cleared it of any wrongdoing associated with a co-founder’s sexual harassment of young men and boys.)
The day of the 2020 election, with the presidential election results still up in the air, one of the group’s advisers admitted that they “never expected any Republicans to help beat Trump,” which was one of the main groups the PAC targets.
The Lincoln Project may be down, but it isn’t ready to be counted out. Federal Election Commission records show that since December 2020 it’s raked in more than $20 million with which to wield its influence—such that it may be.
On Thursday, the super PAC tweeted a list of the races it’s targeting in the midterms. The list includes elections in longtime swing states Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida, as well as a few others.
People chimed in with suggestions about other competitive races and communications strategies.
Liberals offered a much simpler idea: Butt out.
They especially want the Lincoln Project to stay away from the Ohio Senate race.
On Thursday, Ohio-based reporter Josh Rultenberg tweeted that the PAC is calling the Ohio matchup one of the “top races critical to American democracy’s survival.”
Republicans rejoiced. Seth Mandel of the conservative Washington Examiner tweeted, “Outstanding.”
Democrats reacted with a collective groan.
Some brought up the Lincoln Project’s ill-conceived stunt where it sent people dressed like Unite the Right attendees in a botched effort to malign Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) as racist during his campaign.
“It worked out great for Virginia! Enjoy the Lincoln Project’s ‘help.’ They’ll raise a ton of money on you. Not for. But on,” commented @rossallen3.
Izzi Levy, communications director for Senate candidate Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who is running against Republican J.D. Vance in the general election, replied with a simple “pls no.”
GIFs, jokes, and memes littered the comment section of Levy’s tweet.
The Lincoln Project seems unaware of or unperturbed by such criticisms. Currently, its pinned tweet is an attack ad against their former “fellow never Trumper” Vance that it posted the morning of the primary. Vance won the primary.