Secret Org Recruiting Far-Right Candidates Could Help Democrats Win

A secretive organization called the Patriots Run Project has been quietly recruiting far-right candidates in key U.S. House races, potentially giving Democrats an unexpected advantage in the upcoming election cycle, the Associated Press reported.
According to the AP’s review, the group has been recruiting supporters of former President Donald Trump in the past year to run as independent candidates in swing districts, where they could siphon votes from Republicans in races that will help determine which party controls the House next year.
However, the review found that some of the group’s efforts traced back to Democratic consulting firms.
In addition to two races in Iowa, the group recruited candidates from Nebraska, Montana, Virginia and Minnesota. The review also found that all six recruits described themselves as retired, disabled, or both.
Among those recruits is Joseph Wiederien, a Trump supporter from Iowa who spoke to the AP and revealed that while he was registered as a Republican until only a few months ago, he arrived last month at the Iowa Capitol with well over the 1,726 petition signatures needed to qualify for the ballot as a conservative and independent alternative to first-term Republican Representative Zach Nunn.
According to the AP, when it was time to submit his petitions, Wiederien said an operative he knew only as “Johnny” agreed to drive him the 75 miles to Des Moines.
Later, after filing the necessary paperwork at the Iowa State Capitol, Wiederien said he flashed a thumbs-up across the room at “Johnny.”
Wiederien, 54, who had previously suffered a debilitating stroke that had left him unable to drive, said he had never run for office and for a time was unable to vote because of a felony conviction.
Meanwhile, Wiederien is not the first unorthodox candidate to emerge across the country—all are backed by the Patriots Run Project.
While little is known about the group’s efforts regarding its management, financing or motivation, documents reviewed by the AP, including interviews, text messages, emails, and business filings, show that a significant sum has been spent—some tracing back to Democratic consulting firms.
The implications of these efforts could be far-reaching. They may tip the scales in districts where Republican candidates are vulnerable, handing victories to their Democratic opponents.
For many of these recruits, the process began on Facebook, where the Patriots Run Project ran a series of pro-Trump pages and ads, urging “American Patriots” to run for office and reclaim control from “globalist elites.” Some, like Wiederien, were contacted directly because of their political posts. The AP review found that others filled out online surveys before being approached by the group.
Once onboard, recruits received guidance on navigating the paperwork and logistics of running for office, with limited in-person contact. Notably, in several districts, signature collection efforts to get candidates on the ballot were facilitated by firms linked to Democratic consultants.
According to the AP review, Wiederien’s petition signatures were gathered by Common Sense America, a Nevada limited liability company created in February. A company disclosure filing in Colorado, which requires signature gatherers to register, lists a phone number for a co-founder of the Democratic consulting firm Sole Strategies.
“We work very closely with Common Sense America,” Zee Cohen-Sanchez, the co-founder, said when contacted by the AP.
According to records cited by the AP, Sole Strategies has earned nearly $1.8 million over the past four years working for Democratic candidates and causes, including numerous Democratic House members and candidates.
However, despite the ties to Democratic firms, it remains unclear who is overseeing the effort. The Patriots Run Project itself is not a registered business, political action committee, or nonprofit in the U.S., and it has no discernible leadership or public-facing structure.
According to the AP, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the House Democrats’ campaign arm, said the organization had no knowledge of or involvement in the effort. The spokesperson also said the House Majority PAC, the Democrats’ big-spending congressional super PAC, was not involved.
Newsweek reached out to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee via email for comment.
Wiederien, who initially believed he was running to bolster Trump’s agenda, has since withdrawn his candidacy, alleging he was manipulated into challenging Iowa’s Republican incumbent, Nunn.
“At that time, I was thinking, well, it would be nice to be in Congress and get to work with President Trump,” Wiederien told the AP outside the Veterans Affairs hospital in Des Moines, where he was seeking treatment for a leaking incision on his head from previous brain surgery.
“It looks like it’s a dirty trick now,” he added, stating that he wants an investigation to uncover the motives of those who made his candidacy possible.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.