By admin 
As former venture capitalist Eric Jones appears to be nearing a congressional victory, competing messages on immigration from his campaign and a group supporting him offer a glimpse into how he won over voters across party lines.
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The messages, often delivered through political advertisements, targeted Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, from opposite directions. Jones’ campaign criticized Thompson for funding federal immigration enforcement agencies, while a super political action committee with ties to Jones — New Leadership Now — accused him of not doing enough to crack down on immigrants with criminal records.
The dueling attacks illustrate how Jones, who has set a state record for self-funding a congressional campaign, and his backers appealed to both Democrats and Republicans in Northern California’s 4th Congressional District race. He faced an uphill battle against Thompson, the Democrat incumbent who had represented parts of the region since entering Congress in 1998.
“Seven days after ICE murdered her, Mike Thompson voted to expand their power,” said one Facebook advertisement from Jones’ campaign, referencing the killing of Renee Good by federal immigration agents earlier this year in Minneapolis.
Jones, a fellow Democrat, similarly accused Thompson of voting to provide more funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a debate last month. Thompson said the accusation was false.
In contrast to Jones’ comments and ads, the New Leadership Now blasted Thompson for his voting record and previous comments on border security during former President Joe Biden’s tenure.
“A liberal Democrat endorsed by Nancy Pelosi and Gavin Newsom, he even supports sanctuary cities shielding criminals,” said a video advertisement from New Leadership Now. “Mike Thompson isn’t just soft on illegal criminals. He’s on their side.”
“Protecting criminals first. Your safety second,” said another mailer from the super PAC. “That’s the Mike Thompson record.”
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New Leadership Now, which raised nearly $5.8 million this election cycle, received major funding from people tied to Dragoneer Investment Group, a San Francisco based venture capital firm where Jones previously worked as a partner. Among the largest donations to the group came from Elisa Stad, wife to the founder and managing partner of the firm, and another firm partner Daniel Gillespie, according to filings from the Federal Election Commission website.
The super PAC was founded in March 2025 — about six months before Jones announced his congressional campaign. Per federal law, super PACs are legally prohibited from donating directly to candidates and coordinating their advertising with campaigns.
Jones, in response to a question about the contrasted messaging, denounced the New Leadership Now ad and said it did not reflect his values.
“I’ve said the same thing about immigration in every room in this district, to Democrats, Republicans and independents alike,” Jones said in a written statement. “We need humane, comprehensive immigration reform. We will not stay silent while our neighbors are scapegoated and targeted. Most Americans agree that our immigration system should be built on dignity.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Jones holds a narrow but growing edge over Thompson. Jones led 52.1% to 47.9% in the intra-party and generational race. The Associated Press estimates that roughly 74% of the district’s votes have been counted.
Jones, who has maintained that the vote trajectory is in his favor, has significant leads in the more conservative counties of the district including Yuba, Sutter, Colusa and Placer.
Thompson has strong advantages in Sonoma, Napa and Yolo counties, the three with the largest populations of voters in the district.
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