An increasing number of Democratic candidates are pledging to reject donations from business-linked political action committees in 2026 — a promise House Democrats say is easier said than done.
“I am deciding whether I’m going to committee or a meeting based on whether I have to meet with individual donors,” one House Democrat, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told NOTUS. “That’s fucked up.”
Democrats who take funds from corporate PACs “perform significantly worse” against a Republican candidate compared to Democrats who reject outside PAC money, according to a recent analysis from the progressive think tank Data for Progress. That leaves candidates facing what is likely to be the most expensive midterm election in history with few good options: take money from corporations and alienate the base, or spend all day, every day, dialing individual donors for dollars.