Varela campaign brings on Emmett Shell as campaign manager

Brian Varela, a Democratic businessman running to take on Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) in New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, has hired a campaign manager: Emmett Shell.

Until this month, Shell had been running Hoboken City Councilwoman Emily Jabbour’s campaign for mayor. Shell had previously held roles on congressional campaigns in Oregon and Kentucky; he also spent a year and a half as a finance associate at Arrowhead Strategies, where he worked with a number of candidates around the country, among them now-New Jersey Rep. Herb Conaway (D-Delran).

“I’m excited to welcome Emmett to our team,” Varela said in a statement. “His diverse experience across several aspects of campaign operations, combined with his unmatched enthusiasm, makes him exactly the leader we need to take this campaign to the next level. Emmett understands what it takes to win, and I’m confident his strategic vision and operational expertise will be the catalyst that propels our campaign forward.”

Varela is one of eight Democrats currently running to challenge Kean; the eventual winner of the primary will face a tough general election fight in what could become one of the most competitive House races in the country.