Maureen Galindo and Johnny Garcia speak at a TX-35 Democratic candidate forum in San Antonio on May 6. Photo: Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News via Getty ImagesHouse Democrats are in a mad dash to isolate Texas Democratic congressional candidate Maureen Galindo, who has said she wants to turn an ICE facility into a "prison for American Zionists." Why it matters: A mysterious PAC is spending hundreds of thousands to boost Galindo, which Democrats allege is a Republican attempt to ensure the GOP candidate in that district faces a weak opponent in November."House Republican leadership must immediately cease propping up this antisemitic candidacy," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) said in a statement Tuesday evening.Galindo did not respond to multiple requests for comment, with a spokesperson for the Republican-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund declining to say if the GOP is behind PAC spending on her behalf.The latest: Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said in a joint statement, "If, for some reason, Maureen Galindo wins ... as soon as she is sworn in, we will force a vote to expel her every day she is here.""Maureen's insane, antisemitic views — including putting Americans in concentration camps — have no place in our Party or country," they said.There is also private pressure on DelBene and the DCCC to spend money to block Galindo from getting the nomination, Axios has learned. Driving the news: Galindo's campaign wrote in an Instagram post last weekend that, if elected, she would turn the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center into "a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers."It's the latest in a series of inflammatory comments by Galindo, who told Axios she would introduce legislation to have "all American candidates and elected officials who have ever taken Israeli money tried for treason."Galindo finished first in the Democratic primary in Texas' 35th district in March and is now in a runoff with sheriff's deputy Johnny Garcia.State of play: Garcia had already been backed by the DCCC, the centrist Blue Dog Coalition and Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) before Galindo's latest comments.On Tuesday night, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) denounced Galindo, saying in a post on X that "this bigoted garbage and antisemitism should be nowhere near our politics," and endorsed Garcia.Track AIPAC, a left-wing organization that supports anti-Zionist candidates, also pulled its endorsement of Galindo on Tuesday night.Yes, but: So far, the Lead Left PAC — a cryptic group whose website metadata includes a link to the GOP fundraising website WinRed — is the biggest single spender in the Democratic primary runoff.The group has spent nearly $600,000 on the race supporting Galindo, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact.That's compared to just under $400,000 spent by the Blue Dog Action PAC and $200,000 by outside liberal group Project 218 in support of Garcia, on top of $68,000 in ads run by Garcia's campaign.What we're hearing: There has been a behind-the-scenes push for Democratic leadership to take a more active role in trying to sink Galindo's candidacy."Many members have brought issues about this race to DelBene," one House Democrat told Axios, who said they "get the sense that [the DCCC] is going to spend, invest some resources."DelBene and members of the Texas delegation have been asking colleagues to donate to Garcia individually, according to multiple lawmakers familiar with the entreaties.A second House Democrat who spoke to Axios on the condition of anonymity said it is "unique" for the DCCC to make a "solo ask as opposed to [a] group" ask on behalf of Red to Blue candidates.
House Democrats are scrambling to contain their Maureen Galindo problem
"We will force a vote to expel her every day she is here," a pair of Jewish Democrats said.











