DCCC Drops Thumb on Scale in Heavily Latino CA-22 Primary, Sparking Open War Among Democrats

A brewing civil war has erupted inside California’s 22nd Congressional District as Washington Democrats’ powerful campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), threw its weight – and resources – behind Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains over progressive challenger Randy Villegas in the June 2 top-two primary. 

The move has ignited fierce backlash from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and prominent left-wing voices who accuse D.C. insiders of sidelining Latino voters in one of the nation’s most heavily Hispanic districts to install a preferred moderate. 

Villegas, a college professor, school board trustee, and son of immigrants, quickly fired back with new endorsements from Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA), and Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) following the DCCC’s intervention. He framed the DCCC endorsement as elite meddling in a district where local voices should decide. 

“It is undemocratic to see DC elites putting their thumb on the scale in this race,” Villegas said. “We cannot win this election only to trade one corrupt Representative who’s sold out our community for another. This is the most Latino district in California… it’s frankly outright disrespectful that these party insiders would try to put their thumb on the scale to try & block a Latino representative.” 

The Congressional Progressive Caucus piled on, issuing a statement that read: “Voters, not the DCCC, should pick Democratic nominees… We urge everyone who wants to build a pro-working class Democratic Party to step up and support Randy Villegas’ campaign.” 

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus was equally blunt, declaring Latino voters and candidates “are not a small factor in the fight for the House majority; they are central to it… we will be with Randy… every step of the way.” Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) added that the DCCC’s last-minute move was “especially tone-deaf” in an overwhelmingly Latino district. 

Gun control activist David Hogg also weighed in, calling Villegas the stronger candidate on fundraising, endorsements, and momentum, while criticizing Bains for voting with Republicans on certain issues, sharing corporate donors with the GOP incumbent, and flip-flopping on key progressive priorities. 

David Hogg on #CA22: "The Democratic establishment is wasting resources in primaries to prop up weak candidates." https://t.co/qd3LJElxM4 pic.twitter.com/mrbuUsAyGT

— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) May 4, 2026

CA-22, which includes parts of the Central Valley and is seen as a top Democratic target to flip Republican Rep. David Valadao, has a large Latino population. Bains, a physician and state assemblymember, represents the more establishment lane, while Villegas has courted grassroots progressive support with calls for Medicare for All, higher minimum wages, and stronger immigrant protections. 

The DCCC’s addition of Bains to its coveted “Red to Blue” program signals institutional backing, complete with fundraising advantages and organizational muscle that could prove decisive in the final stretch before the primary. 

Republicans are watching the Democratic infighting with amusement. 

RNC Spokesman Nick Poche quipped: “Democrats are doing what Democrats do best: not giving a damn about voters while spending all their time fighting about which DEI group deserves more money. While Democrats attack each other, Republicans are locked-in and united in winning in November.”

With less than a month until California’s June 2 primary, the open revolt from progressive and Hispanic Democratic factions against D.C. party leadership underscores deep fractures in the California Democratic Party. Whether voters in CA-22 will side with Washington money or local momentum remains to be seen – but the battle for the soul of the party is now fully underway in the Central Valley.