Lamberto joins Richter team as deputy campaign manager

House candidate David Richter hired on his former primary rival’s campaign manager.

Angelo Lamberto, a GOP operative with roots in Burlington County, will join Richter’s team as a deputy campaign manager. He managed former Burlington County Freeholder Director Kate Gibbs’ congressional bid.

“I’m excited for this opportunity to work with David and help flip this seat back for the Republicans,” Lamberto said. “We are going to need to work together as one party to ensure that we send a principled Republican to Congress — a candidate who believes in defending our law enforcement, cutting taxes, and standing up for our veterans — and that candidate is David Richter.”

Lamberto’s hire is a recruitment coup for Richter, who last month emerged victorious from a bitter, divisive primary that saw the third congressional district’s Republicans split along party lines.

Richter won organizational support in Ocean County, while Gibbs’ home county went for her, with a handful of defections from some Burlington Republicans.

“Angelo brings the experience in and knowledge of Burlington County that our campaign needs to secure victory in November,” Richter said. “During the Blue Wave election of 2018, Andy Kim’s performance in Burlington County is what put him over the top in a very close election.  With Angelo on board, we look forward to uniting Burlington County Republicans behind my campaign and making sure that we outperform in the county and win the district overall.”

Kim (D-Marlton) narrowly ousted Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-Toms River) in 2018 because of a wide margin in Burlington County. The Republican solidly won Ocean County, perhaps the state’s staunchest Republican stronghold, but Kim’s lead in Burlington was slightly larger.

Lamberto has a track record of winning races in Burlington County. Last year, he managed Assemblyman Ryan Peters (R-Hainesport) and Assemblywoman Jean Stanfield’s (R-Westhampton) bids in the eighth legislative districts, beating off Democratic challengers in one of the state’s most competitive districts.

The new hire could also go a long way to healing wounds created by this year’s fractious primary.