These four California Democrats are running as centrists, but share the progressive machine of AOC and Mamdani

In an election cycle where some Democrats are trying to move away from the progressive agendathat led them to lose in 2024, several California candidates are leaving a financial trail that is hard to reconcile with a centrist discourse. They are George Whitesides, Randy Villegas, Dave Minand Derek Tran, whose more pragmatic speeches contrast with the use of the same network of providers that used Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Zohran Mamdani.

While none of the four expressly align themselves with the progressive wing of the party, they choose to consume the services of the companies that handle advertising, data, digital mobilization and marketing for the most radical sector.

None present themselves as socialist democrats. None openly embraces the ideas of Bernie Sanders or Mamdani. But their campaigns tell the opposite story.

So mark the public records of the Federal Election Commission, regarding four companies: Technicolor Political, Scale to Win, Numero, and Bumperactive.

Technicolor Political, the audiovisual megaphone

This company specializes in producing audiovisual content for progressive candidates. One of them is Zohran Mamdani, recently elected mayor of New York City.

George Whitesides, who is trying to position himself as a more centrist Democrat in the competitive 27th District, paid Technicolor Political $6.7 million during the last election cycle.

Scale to Win: Ocasio-Cortez and the Working Families Party

Another key piece is Scale to Win, the digital system used by AOC, the Working Families Party, MoveOn and much of the Democratic Socialist movement. It is the platform that shapes messages, optimizes donations and coordinates online mobilization.

While Mamdani invested $133,000 in its services, candidate Dave Minfor California's 47th district did the same with 35,000 during the 2024 election cycle.

Min often describes himself as a moderate, pragmatic academic who is sensitive to local Orange County politics. However, his payments to Scale to Win place him in the same operating structure as Ocasio-Cortez and the mayor-elect of NYC.

Numero: the database shared by AOC, Mamdani, and Derek Tran

This data consulting firm has as clients Mamdani, AOC, and candidate Derek Tran, who paid them more than $19,000. His moderate style then coexists with the same logic and software that fuels the New York left.

In 2024, Tran's pragmatic discourse defeated the incumbent congresswoman from the 45th district, Michelle Steele, by a mere 653 votes out of more than 300,000 cast.

Bumperactive: the merchandising factory

This is a printing and political merchandising store commonly used in progressive campaigns. Examples include t-shirts, stickers, pins, and political propaganda material.

In addition to Mamdani and AOC, frequent clients include Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and numerous state Democratic parties. Add to this list both Min and Tran, whose campaigns invested $3,000 and $5,000, respectively.

Whitesides, Villegas, Min, and Tran will compete in 2026 in House races, in the 27th, 22nd, 45th, and 47th districts, respectively.