Boehner backs Olson in Texas runoff

Former Senate aide Pete Olson got a big boost this week in his primary runoff with former Rep. Shelley Sekula Gibbs (R-Texas), as House Minority Leader John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) political action committee (PAC) stuffed Olson’s campaign account with $10,000.

{mosads}The pair of $5,000 contributions Monday from Boehner’s The Freedom Project signal the broadening of opposition to Sekula Gibbs from the House GOP conference that she was a member of for a short time during the 109th Congress.

Sekula Gibbs served between Election Day 2006 and Rep. Nick Lampson’s (D) swearing-in two months later. She won the special election to replace former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R), but lost a write-in campaign in the general election after being excluded from the ballot.

Her short time in Congress was marked by a staff walkout and received generally poor reviews.

Days after the runoff was set between Sekula Gibbs and Olson, a former chief of staff to Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), 12 GOP members of the Texas delegation signed a fundraising letter on Olson’s behalf. Cornyn and former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) have also backed Olson.

Sekula Gibbs did score the support this week of former Sugar Land Mayor Dean Hrbacek, who finished fifth in the primary with 10 percent. Sekula Gibbs finished first with 28 percent, while Olson pulled 24 percent.

A spokesman for Boehner’s PAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The runoff will be held April 8, with the winner facing Lampson in November.