A super PAC has spent $100,000 to help former Burlington County Freeholder Director Kate Gibbs win the Republican nomination for Congress in New Jersey’s 3rd district, Federal Election Commission filings show.
The Washington-based Defending Main Street, founded to help establishment Republicans fend off primaries against Tea Party challengers, has spent $25,000 on mailings to support Gibbs and $75,000 to oppose her primary opponent, David Richter.
Gibbs and Richter are facing off in the July 7 Republican primary to pick an opponent for Rep. Andy Kim (D-Marlton), a freshman congressman who ousted an incumbent in the 2018 mid-term elections.
Records show that the International Union of Operating Engineers contributed $100,000 to Defending Main Street last December. Gibbs is the deputy director of the Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative of the Operating Engineers Local 825.
The super PAC has also received large contributions from other building trades unions, and Walmart heirs Alice Walton and Greg Penner.
The mail for the NJ-3 race was handled by The Strategy Group, an Ohio-based political consulting firm that has worked for dozens of GOP U.S. Senate, gubernatorial and congressional candidates.
Defending Main Street was founded by the late Steve LaTourette, a former Ohio congressman who wanted to provide help to electable organization-backed Republicans facing primary challenges from the right.
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