The Club for Growth has endorsed businessman Chris Hackett in the Republican primary for Rep. Christopher Carney’s (D) northeastern Pennsylvania seat.

Hackett, who owns and runs a staffing company, is one of two wealthy businessmen leading the race for the GOP nomination. The other is Dan Meuser, who owns and manages a motorized wheelchair company. Optometrist Davis Haire also is running.

The club’s endorsement announcement made no mention of any of the other candidates, though spokeswoman Nachama Soloveichik said the club also met with Meuser.

“We were just very impressed with Chris Hackett,” Soloveichik said. “He’s taken a real great step forward in signing the earmark pledge. He’s adamant against earmarks.”

Carney took the seat away from nearly three decades of Republican reign when then-Rep. Don Sherwood (R) was embroiled in a scandal surrounding allegations that he strangled his mistress.

The large, rural district has a tradition of voting Republican, but Carney won the seat with 53 percent of the vote. President Bush carried the district with 60 percent in 2004.
— Shira Toeplitz