OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NEW JERSEY COALITION OF AUTOMOTIVE RETAILERS

Pub. 22 2023 Issue 3

President’s Message: CAR-PAC is Making a Final Push To Raise $500,000 Ahead of 2023 Elections

CAR-PAC, the Coalition’s political action committee, has raised nearly $318,000 as of September 18, 2023, and has set an ambitious goal of raising $500,000 ahead of the elections this November.

The funds contributed to CAR-PAC help the Coalition ensure the franchised new car and truck retailer industry’s voice is heard in Trenton on a wide variety of important public policy issues. It is critical that EVERY dealership contributes to CAR-PAC to ensure we have the necessary financial resources to support candidates (on both sides of the aisle) who support the franchised retail automotive industry in New Jersey.

CAR-PAC advocates on behalf of New Jersey’s franchised dealerships and works tirelessly to educate legislators on the many contributions the industry makes to the state’s economy.

Remember, ALL 120 MEMBERS of the New Jersey State Senate and General Assembly are up for re-election in November, and New Jersey’s 500 neighborhood new car and truck dealerships have a huge stake in the outcome of this election, which may have unexpected competitive races, thanks to the newly drawn legislative districts.

NJ CAR appreciates the support of the 300 dealers who consistently contribute to CAR-PAC and hopes they will continue their support. The Coalition hopes those dealers who have not previously contributed will reconsider supporting this critical tool for NJ CAR.

NJ CAR currently invoices dealers $1,000 per year to keep CAR-PAC funded properly, but it is important to know that the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) rules allow contributions to a political action committee of up to $8,200 per business or jointly-controlled business.

That means a dealer that owns one store can contribute up to $8,200 per two-year election cycle, while a dealer with 15 stores can contribute a TOTAL of $8,200 across all stores (about $546 per store). And don’t forget, those contributions can be made with corporate funds.

CAR-PAC has set a goal to raise $500,000 for this year’s elections. Please contribute as much as you can comfortably afford.

Checks should be made payable to CAR-PAC and forwarded to NJ CAR Headquarters (856 River Road, West Trenton, NJ 08628). If you have any questions regarding how much your dealership or dealership group can contribute this election cycle, please contact Jim Appleton at (609) 883-5056, x330 or via email at jappleton@njcar.org, and he will have staff look into what you can still legally donate to CAR-PAC.

Please support CAR-PAC with a generous contribution so they can continue supporting all of New Jersey’s neighborhood new car and truck dealerships.