Realtors PAC spends heavily on Kanjorski, McNerney

The National Association of Realtors PAC has launched nearly $600,000 worth of ads in support of Reps. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.) and Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.).

The political action committee, one of the biggest in congressional races, spent $380,000 in Kanjorski’s district and $200,000 in McNerney’s district on the ads, as well as $42,000 for a survey on behalf of McNerney.

{mosads}That brings the PAC’s investment in Kanjorski, who faces his first tough test since 2002 against Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta (R), to nearly $620,000 this cycle.

It is the first time this cycle that the PAC has supported McNerney, a freshman.

The Realtors PAC, which supports candidates from both parties, spent more on independent expenditures than all but one other PAC in 2006, dishing out more than $3.7 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Earlier this cycle, the PAC spent nearly $1 million on Republican Monty Newman, who lost his primary in New Mexico’s 2nd district, and $300,000 on former Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.), who lost his primary and left Congress for a lobbying job.