# WelcomePAC

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/WelcomePAC
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/WelcomePAC.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WelcomePAC
> Source revision: 1354930539
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Democratic political action committee}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = WelcomePAC
| formation = {{start date and age|2021|09|16}}
| founder = Lauren Harper<br>Liam Kerr
| registration_id = C00786830
| status = [Hybrid PAC](/source/Hybrid_PAC)
| website = {{URL|https://welcomepac.org|WelcomePAC.org}}
}}

'''WelcomePAC''' is a [political action committee](/source/political_action_committee) that recruits and supports candidates affiliated with the centrist [Blue Dog Coalition](/source/Blue_Dog_Coalition) of the [United States Democratic Party](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)).<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=Gaetjens |first=Bob |title=WelcomePAC welcomes Portage Republicans, independents into 'big tent' Democratic party |url=https://www.record-courier.com/story/news/2022/01/26/welcomepac-recruits-republicans-into-big-tent-democratic-party-kent-portage-county/9217046002/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Record-Courier |language=en-US}}</ref> 

The group launched during the [2022 midterm election cycle](/source/2022_United_States_elections) and has been described by the [New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) as a "Democratic-aligned outfit that applies insurgent tactics to support center-left candidates in swing districts".<ref name="auto1">{{Cite news |last1=Hounshell |first1=Blake |last2=McFadden |first2=Alyce |date=2022-06-03 |title=Is Jan. 6 a Winning Political Issue? We're About to Find Out. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/03/us/politics/california-house-races-jan-6.html |access-date=2023-03-28 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The organization's co-founder has articulated its aim to "become the [Justice Democrats](/source/Justice_Democrats) of the [political center](/source/Centrism)".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hounshell |first=Blake |date=2022-11-19 |title=Democratic Centrists Lament Missed Opportunities to Keep the House |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/18/us/politics/democrats-midterms.html |access-date=2023-03-28 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> 

The organization is registered with the [Federal Election Commission](/source/Federal_Election_Commission) as a [hybrid PAC](/source/hybrid_PAC) and raised more than $2 million in its inaugural cycle to support Democrats and oppose [Republicans](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) in [Ohio](/source/Ohio) and [California](/source/California).<ref>{{Cite web |title=WELCOMEPAC - committee overview |url=https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00786830/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=FEC.gov |language=en}}</ref> According to the magazine ''[New York](/source/New_York_(magazine))'', WelcomePAC is funded by billionaires [Reid Hoffman](/source/Reid_Hoffman), [Michael Bloomberg](/source/Michael_Bloomberg), [James Murdoch](/source/James_Murdoch) and his wife [Kathryn](/source/Kathryn_Murdoch), Rory Gates, the [Walton family](/source/Walton_family), and [Joe Manchin](/source/Joe_Manchin) and [Heather Manchin](/source/Heather_Manchin)'s centrist Americans Together organization.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zuylen-Wood |first=Simon van |date=2025-10-31 |title=Socialism or Abundance? |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/socialism-vs-abundance-bernie-sanders-aoc-mamdani-democrats-future.html |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=Intelligencer |language=en}}</ref>

== Direct action work ==
=== Ohio State House recruitment and endorsements ===
In early 2022, WelcomePAC conducted a campaign to recruit "big tent" candidates for the [Ohio House of Representatives](/source/Ohio_House_of_Representatives) in the state's [Northeast region](/source/Northeast_Ohio).<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=WelcomePAC seeking candidates for 'big tent' Democratic Party |url=https://chroniclet.com/news/289848/welcomepac-seeking-candidates-for-big-tent-democratic-party/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=chroniclet.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=WelcomePAC comes to Medina County to recruit Democratic candidates |url=https://medina-gazette.com/news/289341/welcomepac-comes-to-medina-county-to-recruit-democratic-candidates/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=medina-gazette.com |language=en}}</ref> Later in the cycle, the group endorsed 17 state legislature candidates with a commitment to "building a big tent Democratic Party that welcomes in independents and moderate Republicans" in Ohio.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WelcomePAC endorses Regan Phillips for Ohio House |url=https://chroniclet.com/news/311954/welcomepac-endorses-regan-phillips-for-ohio-house/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=chroniclet.com |language=en}}</ref> In July 2022, the Ohio Capitol Journal reported that [LinkedIn](/source/LinkedIn) co-founder [Reid Hoffman](/source/Reid_Hoffman) had made contributions to WelcomePAC's endorsed state legislature candidates.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Zuckerman |first1=Jake |date=2022-07-26 |title=LinkedIn co-founder pours money into Ohio races |url=https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2022/07/26/linkedin-co-founder-pours-money-into-ohio-races/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Ohio Capital Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Ohio Senate split ticket campaign ===
In late 2022, WelcomePAC organized a series of [press conferences](/source/Press_conference) throughout Ohio featuring local leaders with Republican backgrounds supporting Democratic Congressman [Tim Ryan](/source/Tim_Ryan_(Ohio_politician))'s campaign for Senate against Republican author and venture capitalist [JD Vance](/source/JD_Vance).<ref>{{Cite web |last=SPEICHER |first=MELANIE |date=2022-09-23 |title=Lifelong Republicans gather in Cincinnati |url=https://www.sidneydailynews.com/2022/09/23/lifelong-republicans-gather-in-cincinnati/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Sidney Daily News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Nick |date=2022-10-04 |title=Ohio Republican group urges GOP, swing voters to reject J.D. Vance |url=https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2022/10/04/ohio-republican-group-urges-gop-swing-voters-to-reject-j-d-vance/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Ohio Capital Journal |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-04 |title=Group of former Republican Ohio leaders tout their support for Tim Ryan |url=https://www.statenews.org/government-politics/2022-10-04/group-of-former-republican-ohio-leaders-tout-their-support-for-tim-ryan |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=The Statehouse News Bureau |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=GOP group in Toledo visit urges voters to back Democrat Tim Ryan |url=https://www.toledoblade.com/local/politics/2022/10/18/gop-urges-voters-back-democrat-tim-ryan/stories/20221018138 |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=The Blade |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Republicans urge support for Ryan |url=https://sanduskyregister.com/news/413679/republicans-urge-support-for-ryan/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=sanduskyregister.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Andrew J. Tobias |first=cleveland com |date=2022-11-03 |title=Democrat Tim Ryan is betting on ticket-splitters to win Ohio's U.S. Senate seat. Can it work? |url=https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/11/democrat-tim-ryan-is-betting-on-ticket-splitters-to-win-ohios-us-senate-seat-can-it-work.html |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=cleveland |language=en}}</ref> The group also ran digital advertisements in the state, encouraging voters who had split their tickets between Republican Governor [Mike DeWine](/source/Mike_DeWine) and Democratic Senator [Sherrod Brown](/source/Sherrod_Brown) in 2018 to consider voting for Ryan in 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Oz-Shapiro. Warnock-Kemp. Split-ticket voters loom large in midterms. |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2022/10/22/ticket-splitting-midterms/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

In late October 2022, the group announced an advertising campaign to persuade both moderate and Trump-aligned Republicans not to vote for JD Vance and encourage them to split their tickets in support of Tim Ryan.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |title=Democratic group backing Ryan in Ohio Senate race targets GOP ticket-splitters |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/democratic-group-backing-ryan-ohio-senate-race-targets-gop-ticket-spli-rcna53945 |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=NBC News |date=25 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref> The six-figure campaign consisted of print, radio, and digital ads.<ref name="auto2"/> Despite unexpectedly competitive poll numbers against Vance, Ryan received minimal support from national Democratic Party committees.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tim Ryan 'all by his lonesome' as national Democrats ignore close Ohio Senate race |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/national-democrats-ignore-ohio-senate-race-leaving-tim-ryan-lonesome-rcna51435 |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=NBC News |date=10 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Linskey |first=Annie |date=October 19, 2022 |title=Tim Ryan asks why Democrats 'don't smell blood' and help him in Ohio |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/19/ryan-ohio-senate-vance-democrats/ |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> According to [Dayton](/source/Dayton%2C_Ohio)-based NBC News affiliate [WDTN](/source/WDTN), WelcomePAC was the only national Democratic group to invest significantly in supporting Ryan's campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-03 |title=How much each of Ohio's U.S. Senate candidates has in contributions |url=https://www.wdtn.com/news/your-local-election-hq/how-much-each-of-ohios-u-s-senate-candidates-has-in-contributions/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=WDTN.com |language=en-US}}</ref> In November 2022, Ryan lost the race for Senate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kinery |first=Emma |title=Republican J.D. Vance defeats Democrat Tim Ryan in Ohio Senate race, NBC News projects |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/08/ohio-senate-results-jd-vance-beats-tim-ryan-nbc-news-projects.html |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=CNBC |date=9 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=J.D. Vance defeats Tim Ryan in Ohio U.S. Senate race |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/08/ohio-senate-race-election-results-2022-midterm-jd-vance-tim-ryan/69589878007/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=The Enquirer |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Siegel |first=Josh |title=GOP keeps Ohio Senate seat with Vance win |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/08/tim-ryan-jd-vance-ohio-senate-race-results-2022-00064777 |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=POLITICO |date=9 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Activities in California's 41st congressional district ===
WelcomePAC supported Democrat [Will Rollins](/source/Will_Rollins_(politician)) against Republican Representative [Ken Calvert](/source/Ken_Calvert) in the 2022 race for [California's 41st congressional district](/source/California's_41st_congressional_district).<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-28 |title=These PACs are trying to beat Inland Rep. Ken Calvert |url=https://www.pressenterprise.com/2022/08/28/these-pacs-are-trying-to-beat-inland-rep-ken-calvert |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Press Enterprise |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=2022-06-06 |title=California's Primary Races To Watch |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-20-california-primary-races-to-watch/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606100050/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-20-california-primary-races-to-watch/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 6, 2022 |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=FiveThirtyEight |language=en-US}}</ref> Rollins lost to Calvert in the November general election.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election update Monday: Rollins concedes to Calvert in 41st Congressional District race |url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/22/election-update-monday-rollins-concedes-to-calvert-in-us-house-race/69669375007/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=The Desert Sun |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-15 |title=Rep. Ken Calvert is apparent winner over Will Rollins in 41st Congressional District |url=https://www.pressenterprise.com/2022/11/15/rep-ken-calvert-is-apparent-winner-over-will-rollins-in-41st-congressional-district |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Press Enterprise |language=en-US}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

Category:United States political action committees

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [WelcomePAC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WelcomePAC) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WelcomePAC?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.