Open Letter to Bhavini Patel: Keep MAGA Republicans out of our Democratic Primary
We, the undersigned constituents of PA-12, are writing to express our grave concern about your campaign soliciting support from Republican donors and registering Republicans to vote in our Democratic primary. This is a craven and undemocratic ploy to unseat Congresswoman Summer Lee. The involvement of Republican donors in your campaign is deceitful and deeply hypocritical. It undermines any hope of earning the trust of Democratic voters and the communities you claim to be running to serve. Accepting financial support from those who actively work against our values is unacceptable and incompatible with the responsibilities of a Democratic representative. We deserve better.
Your first and only FEC report showed that more than 60% of your top donors have given more than $100,000 to MAGA Republicans — from PA election deniers like Scott Perry and Mike Kelly to anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ extremists like Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz, and Kevin McCarthy, Nikki Haley, David McCormick, and many more.
Now, the first outside spending in our primary has come from a Super PAC entirely funded by Jeffrey Yass, the richest man in Pennsylvania and the largest Republican donor in the country. Yass has spent over $46 million already this cycle on Republican candidates and causes and spent $47 million last cycle trying to defund our public education, prop up anti-abortion Republicans, and cut taxes for billionaires like himself. Our Commonwealth has no greater enemy than its richest Republican, Jeffrey Yass, and now you have aligned yourself with him too.
You have also made clear that you are seeking endorsement from and support of AIPAC’s Super PAC, the United Democracy Project, despite their funding coming mainly from Trump megadonors and Republican billionaires. This is the same Super PAC that in 2022 endorsed over 100 election-denying insurrectionist Republicans, currently endorses 200+ anti-abortion Republican extremists, and spent $5 million on attack ads filled with lies about Summer in the primary and also the general election in an attempt to elect an anti-choice Republican extremist to represent Pittsburgh.
On top of that, you stated on a fundraising call with these Republican donors that encouraging Republicans to re-register to vote as Democrats would be part of your strategy.
You appear to have teamed up with Republican David McCormick in an embarrassing attempt to slander Senator Casey and Congresswoman Lee — exploiting the trauma of antisemitism and Islamophobia to peddle disinformation and score cheap political points. With Trump and MAGA Republicans on the ballot, your strategy of sewing division between vulnerable communities while partnering with Republican voters and donors puts our freedom and our futures at risk.
The Democratic Party has long stood for progress, advocating for the rights and well-being of all people, no matter where they come from, how much money they have, how they pray, or what they look like. We fight tirelessly for reproductive freedom, safety from gun violence, clean air and water, civil rights, and democracy. No candidate running in the Democratic primary should be primarily funded by Republican donors working to elect Trump. Your Republican donors are part of the plan to pass a national abortion ban, attack our LGBTQ+ siblings, bankroll Big Pharma and the NRA, tear away our access to health care, workers’ rights, voting rights, and ultimately end democracy in America. They are actively undermining our democracy, promoting discrimination and hate, and endangering the lives and well-being of our communities.
Therefore, we ask you to take immediate and transparent action, pledging not to encourage Republicans and Independents to re-register in our primaries and publicly demand that a Republican-funded Super PAC like AIPAC not spend money in our Democratic primary. The integrity of our democratic process and the voters' trust in PA-12 are at stake.
Sincerely,
Elise Lavallee
Kenneth Mostern
Satvika Neti
Marijke Hecht
Erin Breault
Allie Levin
Matt Richards
Henry Cohen
Amber, Chaudhry
Eva Resnick -Day
Myra Tahirkheli
Rachel Webber
Emilie
Anita
Kayla
Megan
Brian Doyle
Tyrell Best-Savage
Antony Gnalian
Ghadah Makoshi
Daniel, Stock
Larry Rippel
David Greve
Tanisha Long
Patricia Oliver
Pam Thompson
Mary Hofford
Dolores, Parker
Ella Thompson
Erik Oas
Cassia
Olivia
Jodi Hirsh
Gloria Gralewski
Stephanie Gagne
Ryan Morden
Dan
Maureen Trent
Namita
Cee Cee McNulty
Brendan McCarthy
Mary McGarity
Katie Forsythe
Stacey Edick
Marianne Weaver
Jennie Sweet-Cushman
Diana
Tonja
Leykn Schmatz
Treasure
Corey Johns
Lisa Messineo
Andrea G
Naomi, Greenberg
Sabrina Maines
Tom Hoffman
shannon mahoney
Chad, Collins
Linfa Little
Elyanna Sharbaji
Erin Marie Hatala
Harry
Cassandra Masters
Ariana
Sara, Myers-Maloney
Carlin Christy
Emalie Martzall
Julia Bojalad
Emma
Jasmine, Kaur
Kipp Dawson
Walid, Khoury
Jessica O’Keefe
Terri Minor Spencer
Marilyn
Miriam Pérez-Putnam
Aly Shaw
Sarah A.
Zachary Grewe
Jessica Jones
Martine Saul
Tim Jones
Jack Alto
Morgan Faeder
Judith Yanowitz
Alexandra, Weiner
Marie Norman
Nathaniel Yap
Jeremiah
Tyler, Wilson
Eileen
Cortney Bouse
Moshe Sherman
Sami
Nicholas Williams
TARNJIT
Cassie, Grzybek
Mohinder kaur
Mandeep
Joanne
Laura Horowitz
Susan
Andrea Boykowycz
Hannah Akerberg
Mary Tremonte
Sarah
Mahogany Thaxton
Cora
Elijah, Horowitz
Symone Saul
Shawn Waggoner
Megan
Jillian
Harriet
Nikki
Astrid
Leora, Rosner
Nadav Furgang
Patricia Blaney
Theresa Chalich
Obadah Alfaham
Bill Wekselman
Jennifer, Walkup Jayes
Ari
Barney, Oursler
Zachary, Carlson
Mia
G. Phillips
Jeremy Marshall
Phoebe Degroot
Maya, Haber
Azadeh, Block
Laura Kessler
Michelena Wolf
Jack
Mary Dias
Julianne Saffron
Jennifer Rafanan Kennedy
Sara Haj-Hassan
Jill
Erin Breault
Aimee
Kasey
Christy Owens
Sarah
Tim
Bushra
Erin McCrosky
Emily
Sean
Jonathan Mayo
Kate Joranson
Amy
Khadija
Juhi
Megan Rodriguez
John Rodriguez
James, Faeder
Katharyn, Gaslowitz
Danielle Graham Robinson
Andi
Janet Seltman
Ramey
Rachel
Clove Darr
Lauren Stuparitz
Christina Graves
Julia Rippel
Keshira haLev Fife
Laura Tompkins
Bennett
Louise Mayo
Seth
ang zarrilli
Laura Nelson
Pam Harbin
Cole, Fischer
Jane
Dan Yablonsky
Derek H
Monica,
Samara Rosenberg
William Cohen
Kimberly
Susan Hoppe
Rayden
Michael Goodhart
Michael Healey
Rachel James
Avigail Oren
Heather Mull
Kayleigh
Marcus
Daniel Heifetz
Berenson, Tommy
Patrick Francis
Lutie Rodriguez
Nicholas Petrillo
Lynn
Marley Pinsky
Max Applbaum
L. Ray Roberts
Osman Jouejati
Omar Mussa
Jules Mallis
Moira Kaleida
Ernest Rajakone
Bonnie Weibel
Laurel Ford
Timothy Randall
Jacob
Elaine Beck
Andrew Hayhurst
Sophie Mackey
Daniel
Jessica
JP Leskovich
Alex Nunley
Robert Sabanas
Stephen O’Brion
Chris
Rebecca
Adrie Rose
Ary
Anthony Olshanski
Alexander
Robert
Ron
