EXCLUSIVE — The campaign arm of Senate Republicans is getting into the holiday spirit with tongue-in-cheek “ugly primary” Christmas sweaters targeting Democratic hopefuls in Michigan, Iowa, and Maine.
The merchandise from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, first seen by the Washington Examiner, each sells for $45 and bears the faces of Democratic candidates in each of the states. They’re intended for “mocking” Democratic divisions in contentious Senate primaries for next year’s midterm elections.
“Democrats are unraveling as their party faces historically low approval ratings and a brutal [Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)] vs. [Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)] proxy war that’s snowballed into messy primaries across the country,” said NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez. “None of these candidates will ever make it to the U.S. Senate, but they will be stitched forever into an Ugly Sweater that their snowflake supporters can use as a security blanket for holiday seasons to come.”
Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, did not respond to a request for comment.
In battleground Michigan, it’s a three-way contest between Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and former Wayne County Health Director Abdul el Sayed. They’re seeking to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI).
Another hotly contested primary is in Maine to take on centrist Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), featuring establishment-backed Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) and progressive outsider Graham Platner.
In Iowa, a long-shot pickup opportunity for Democrats, another three-way contest is taking shape between state Sen. Zach Wahls, state Rep. Josh Turek, and former Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Nathan Sage.
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Democrats aren’t the only ones with several bitter primary rivalries in next year’s Senate elections. Republicans face intraparty divisions of their own across the map, including in states such as Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Georgia, and Kentucky.
The NRSC is also unveiling a 45-second digital ad to accompany the sweaters, which the group calls “perfect for remembering Democratic Senate candidates no one else will.” The video was created using artificial intelligence, a tactic the NRSC has increasingly leaned on for creating campaign materials.
