James Thompson, who lost a close special election in Kansas and is again running for the Wichita seat in 2018, said the DCCC is specific about why it wants candidates to raise money. “They want you to spend a certain amount of money on consultants, and it’s their list of consultants you have to choose from,” he said. Those consultants tend to be DCCC veterans. A memo the party committee sent to candidates in December lays out some of the demands the DCCC made around spending.
The article hints there possibly could be some baby steps towards changing practices, but... The ability to raise money is prized, in part, because a lot of that money gets spent on the right people. When those consultants lose elections, well, whatchagonnado, blame The Professional Left.