Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer-aligned groups have been involved in several Republican primaries this election cycle, a strategy that has been ongoing for years. The Senate Majority PAC (SMP), focused on electing and maintaining Democrats in the Senate, has targeted Republican primaries in at least two states for the 2024 elections. SMP typically operates through other groups to hide its involvement until after the primaries, often concentrating on swing states by supporting candidates endorsed by former President Trump, whom they believe may be more vulnerable to defeat by their Democratic Senate candidate in the general election.
In a recent instance in Ohio, SMP supported businessman Bernie Moreno, endorsed by Trump, through a group called the Duty and Country PAC. The PAC injected $2.5 million into a last-minute effort to boost Moreno by portraying him as 'too conservative,' aiming to solidify his support among certain Republican voters. The Duty and Country PAC received substantial funding from Majority Forward, a dark money nonprofit linked to SMP.
