Lipper-Garabedian Got Surprise Help From Republican-Leaning PAC

MELROSE, MA — City Councilor Kate Lipper-Garabedian got some unexpected help in the days leading up to her primary victory.

A new Republican-leaning super PAC that spent big in the lead-up to the November elections sent campaign literature supporting Lipper-Garabedian to homes across Melrose — which came as a surprise to her.

"I was extremely surprised to see a mailing in my mailbox from an independent expenditure committee," Lipper-Garabedian, a Democrat, told Patch. "To be clear, when I pulled it out of the mailbox, it was the first time I had ever seen the mailing."

CommonWealth Magazine reported the mailing cost nearly $5,000.

"I did not seek the organization's involvement or help," Lipper-Garabedian said. "Had I known about it, I would have asked it not to participate in this election at all."

She continued: "I am a proud Democrat who has worked tirelessly to earn the vote of everyone in our District. I have been honored to have the endorsement of the overwhelming majority of Democratic elected officials and the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund. I urge organizations like the one that got involved to refrain from any further activity for the remainder of this election."

Lipper-Garabedian cruised to victory in Tuesday's special House primary for the 32d Middlesex District. She'll face Brandon Reid of Melrose, who earned enough just write-in votes to make Super Tuesday's ballot.

The Massachusetts Majority Independent Expenditure PAC was set up in May. Patch previously reported bought direct-mail pieces supporting 15 candidates, mostly Republicans, for the November elections. The support caught the candidates off guard.

Eleven of the 15 candidates the PAC supported won in November.

The PAC is no stranger to Melrose. It spent more than $15,500 supporting Monica Medeiros in her failed bid for mayor.

Mathew Helman, one of two candidates who shared the Democratic ballot with Lipper-Garabedian, said before the election he found it "very troubling" that the PAC got involved.

"I find it very troubling and unDemocratic that a Super PAC that has been described as ‘Republican-leaning,’ ‘closely tied’ to Charlie Baker, and ‘funded by a familiar ensemble of well-heeled GOP donors’ has chosen to meddle in our Democratic primary in the 32nd Middlesex district," he said in a statement.

Helman congratulated Lipper-Garabedian shortly after her victory Tuesday.

Reporting by Neal McNamara, Patch staff, was used in this report