DCCC Adds Nunes to Its Early Target List

This billboard from the 2018 campaign has re-emerged early in the 2020 campaign.

While presidential hype surrounding the 2020 election has dominated political media outlets nationwide, one California Congressional District is already witnessing the early stages of a dogfight that promises to be nasty next year.

It appears Republican Devin Nunes of Tulare will be sitting atop a new Democratic targeting list as several billboards have re-emerged accusing the representative of Russian election meddling.

Last year, House Democrats enjoyed a stunning victory, flipping over 40 seats, including seven in California. According to Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairwoman, Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), this “was just the tip of the iceberg.” Writing in a memo released last week, Bustos identified 33 GOP-held seats as targets, including California 22, held by Nunes. “Over the next 21 months, we are going to execute a focused strategy to expand our majority.”

Bustos said, “By putting our plans in motion earlier in the cycle than ever before, we are demonstrating to Democrats across the country that the political arm of House Democrats is operating in high gear from the start.”

The billboard attacking Nunes states, “Nunes must go” and “if you prefer Russian” before proceeding to display the actual Russian translation of ‘Nunes must go.’ Nunes – the 5-term Representative, previously chaired the House Intelligence committee, which oversaw the handling of the Trump Russia probe. During that oversight, Nunes came under withering attacks from the left who criticized him for being soft on Trump.

So far only one billboard has been seen, but don’t be surprised if more follow. There were as many as 4 billboards spotted last election cycle.

Nunes defeated Democrat Andrew Janz, 53 percent to 47 percent in a district where Republicans currently maintain an 8-point registration advantage. So far it is not clear if Andrew Janz will once again seek the nomination to take on Nunes, which will presumably be tougher in a presidential year. Furthermore, if early campaigning by the Democrats proves to help further oust a dwindling California Republican Party, this race could set a political precedent that could be repeated nationwide.