Have Republicans started meddling in the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 7th district to hurt Rebecca Bennett, the race’s apparent Democratic frontrunner? Bennett’s campaign thinks so.
A murky new super PAC called “Real Change PAC” has begun an ad campaign that accuses Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, of being insufficiently progressive. Bennett, the ad says, won’t commit to abolishing ICE and previously had personal investments in ICE contractors; it contrasts that favorably with two of her Democratic foes, Tina Shah and Brian Varela, who have been more supportive of dismantling ICE.
The PAC’s investment in the race is already substantial; according to FEC filings, it’s spent around $380,000 on anti-Bennett ads and another $65,000 on mailers.
Essentially nothing is known yet about Real Change PAC, which was formed on May 11 with a Nebraska address and which claims that its mission is “electing grassroots candidates who are committed to progressive values.” The PAC did not respond to an email requesting comment on the new expenditures, which were paid to a Florida-based consulting firm that similarly has virtually no online footprint, and no one involved in the race in New Jersey claims to have any knowledge of its motives.
Real Change PAC’s treasurer, Nathan Letourneau, has also taken extra steps to make sure voters aren’t able to see who’s funding it until after the June 2 primary is already over. Shortly after the PAC began spending on the 7th district race, it filed paperwork revising its filing frequency such that it won’t have to file its first fundraising report until June 20.
There’s some evidence, however, tying the PAC to Republicans, who may have a vested interest in defeating (or at least hobbling) Bennett before she reaches a general election against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).
For one, the footage used in the ad, from a February candidate forum in Long Hill, was previously promoted by the Congressional Leadership Fund, the House GOP’s main super PAC, as evidence that 7th district Democrats had gone too far to the left. A CLF spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on whether her organization is affiliated with Real Change PAC.
For another, there’s the odd fact that the ad promotes both Shah and Varela as alternatives to Bennett, which would be an unusual choice if the purpose of the ad was in fact to boost one of their campaigns. Instead, the main point seems to be making Bennett, who has raised the most money and gotten the most party support of anyone in the four-way 7th district race, seem more unappealing to Democratic primary voters.
It’s not the first time this cycle that a brand-new super PAC has suddenly started spending money attacking a leading Democratic congressional candidate. Lead Left PAC, a supposedly progressive PAC formed in April, has spent weeks meddling in Democratic primaries in Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Texas; it was later discovered that metadata on the PAC’s website linked back to WinRed, the Republican fundraising platform.
According to Punchbowl News’s Ally Mutnick, there’s also a concrete connection between Real Change PAC and Lead Left PAC: while the consulting firms the two PACs used for their ads have different names, they’re both registered to the same address in Wyoming.
Whether or not there ends up being a clearer smoking-gun connection between Real Change PAC and the GOP, Bennett said that the PAC’s spending is a sign Republicans don’t want to run against her.
“We’ve known all along that D.C. Republicans are scared to face me, so now they are resorting to lies and dark money attacks to try and stop us from flipping this seat,” she said in a statement. “Let’s be clear: this desperate attack proves I’m the candidate the GOP fears most to take on Congressman Tom Kean Jr. because they know we will win in November.”
Bennett also called on her Democratic primary foes to “immediately denounce” the PAC’s spending. A spokesperson for Varela, one of the two candidates the ad casts in a more favorable light, said that Varela condemns any dark money involvement in the 7th district race.
“Brian has always been clear that dark money super PACs trying to buy influence should stay out of our district,” Varela campaign manager Emmett Shell said. “Brian is the only progressive Democrat who can defeat Tom Kean Jr. and the only one in this race without a super PAC spending money solely to help him.”
Shah, the other candidate mentioned in the ad, declined to comment. Shah’s campaign began running its own anti-Bennett negative ad yesterday that touches on some similar points as Real Change PAC’s ad.
This story was updated at 3:03 p.m. with more details about Real Change PAC’s spending.
