Scoop: House Democrats want changes at the DCCC after $500,000 blunder in Arizona

House Democrats are publicly and privately pushing for changes at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee after it spent more than $500,000 backing a failed primary candidate in Arizona.

Why it matters: The House Democratic campaign arm has faced persistent criticism this year from its members for getting more heavily involved in primaries than in past election cycles.

• "I don't think they should get involved in primaries — I've said that before, I've said that directly to them," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus' PAC.
• "I think we need to let voters do their thing. ... as the Democratic Party we should stay out of Democratic primaries."

Driving the news: This latest bout of criticism towards the DCCC comes after the party committee spent over $500,000 in support of Marlene Galán-Woods in Arizona's 1st district, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact.

• Former state Rep. Amish Shah won the primary instead, according to the Associated Press.
• Shah's win marks the third time this year the DCCC spent six figures on their preferred candidate in a Democratic primary only to come up short.

What they're saying: Several House Democrats told Axios there should be a formal body that gives rank-and-file members and House caucuses more say over where and how DCCC money is spent.

• "I just think more input on these decisions is better in general," Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), a vocal critic of the DCCC's spending in primaries, told Axios.
• Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-N.J.) said the DCCC should "revisit the way that things are traditionally done and make sure that we have more input."

It's "a great opportunity for ... different perspectives that get us really good decisions," said Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.).

• Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), whose hobby horse is having more progressives added to the DCCC's "Red to Blue" program, said he thinks it would be a "good idea" for members to have more influence on the decision-making.
• "Obviously something needs to change," another House Democrat told Axios, adding, "I don't know if decision by committee is the best route or another option, but I'm all ears."

Yes, but: The DCCC isn't a black box — several members said they have had opportunities to talk to DCCC chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) about her decisions even though they disagreed with them.

• "I wanted to be frontline and wasn't able to get on, but I talked to Suzan and I certainly had input on that situation," said Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.).
• Jayapal said CPC PAC leadership has "weighed in directly" with DelBene and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) in cases where the DCCC and CPC endorsements clashed.
• "The staff, the Executive Director, and the Chair have all been incredibly accessible to both me and my boss," Hannah Spengler, a senior advisor for Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.), told Axios.

Between the lines: The DCCC regularly gives a heads up to the relevant caucus leaders, rank-and-file members and local electeds when they make a "Red to Blue" endorsement, a source familiar with the matter told Axios.

• "They may not like the decision, but they are consulted. There is a conversation that happens ahead of each one of these decisions," the source said.
• The source also stressed that the DCCC only runs positive ads on behalf of the Democratic primary candidates they support and that the spending on primaries represents a small fraction of the committee's overall spending.

What to watch: Much of this will fall on the shoulders of the next DCCC chair. That decision is entirely at the discretion of Jeffries, who told Axios last week he has not given any thought to who he will appoint for the 2028 cycle.

• House Democrats told Axios that Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) has privately expressed interest in the role and that Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) is seen as another possible contender.
• A Schneider spokesperson said in a statement he is "flattered by the trust his colleagues have in him, but he is not seeking the DCCC chairmanship."
• Stanton told Axios: "The only person who matters on that is Hakeem Jeffries. He's going to be a great speaker, he's going to make a great choice."