A California Democratic incumbent is using campaign tricks to help a Republican win her primary so she can avoid facing a progressive challenger, which is bad for voters wanting fresh leadership.

• Doris Matsui, in office 21 years, is signaling her super PAC donors to run TV, mail, and digital ads boosting a Republican candidate in California's jungle primary.
• The goal is to push the Republican into the top-two general election so Matsui avoids running against progressive challenger Mai Vang, who polls show is neck and neck.
• Vang is running on Medicare for All, closing ICE detention centers, ending weapons funding for Israel, and refusing corporate PAC money.
• Matsui has taken AIPAC money, voted for more weapons to Israel, and accepted donations from ICE contractors while the agency's budget tripled under her watch.
• Vang would be the first Hmong American in Congress, the daughter of refugees from the US-backed secret war in Laos.

Outlook: The June 2 primary will show whether the incumbent's strategy of elevating a Republican works, or whether progressive anger at establishment Democrats breaks through.