Campaign News

Published May 25th, 2008 in The Star-Ledger
By: Joe Donahue

For decades, New Jersey Democrats have had very little chance of winning the 3rd District congressional seat.

Until now.

Several developments have handed Democrats their best opportunity in years to seize the district.

Most important, longtime GOP incumbent Jim Saxton, who has held the seat since 1984, decided not to run again.

Democrats caught another break when popular Republicans like state Sens. Diane Allen (R-Burlington) and Chris Connors (R-Ocean) took a pass.

Chris Myers of Medford, John Kelly of Eagleswood Township and Justin Michael Murphy of Tabernacle are competing for the GOP nomination.

The Democratic candidate -- veteran state Sen. John Adler (D-Camden) -- faces no primary challenger and is better known than his would-be Republican adversaries.

All this in a year when discontent over Bush administration policies and the economy have Republicans worrying about losing Congressional seats nationwide this fall.

The Cook Political Report, a Washington, D.C. newsletter and web site, lists the 3rd District, a longtime Republican bastion, as a toss up this fall.

The vast district, stretching across south-central New Jersey from the Delaware to the Atlantic, encompasses Philadelphia-area suburbs, wide stretches of undeveloped Pinelands and Shore-area retirement communities.

Much of the district is in areas of Ocean and Burlington counties where Republicans traditionally have been favored, but it also includes heavily Democratic Cherry Hill, Adler's hometown.

Saxton announced last November that he was not running again after disclosing that he was suffering from prostate cancer and sciatica.

Myers, a Lockheed Martin vice president, Medford's mayor and a former U.S. Navy officer, is Saxton's preferred successor and has the organizational line in Camden County. The Ocean County GOP is backing Kelly, a freeholder. Murphy is a former Tabernacle Committeeman who is a lawyer and business consultant.

In a sign Myers and Kelly consider themselves the front-runners, both have traded campaign shots almost on a daily basis. Myers has taken aim at Kelly's government jobs and health benefits. Kelly has responded by attacking the conservative credentials of his rival, raising questions about his job with a defense contracting firm, and criticizing his attendance record as mayor at council meetings.

Whoever wins next month, the fall campaign is likely to be a real dogfight because Adler is running in a historically Republican district, said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.

The Democrat is buoyed by advantages in fund-raising, name recognition and national voting trends that favor Democratic candidates. Republicans were rocked this month when three Democrats won special elections in GOP-favored districts in Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi.

"Everything is lining up to be a Democratic year. The focus is on the economy," Murray said. "Republicans have been dropping like flies across the country."

Center for Responsive Politics shows he leads all contenders with $1 million cash in the bank -- more than the combined reserves of the three Republican primary contenders. Congressional Quarterly earlier this month said Adler has more money than any candidate for an open congressional seat in the nation.

Adler is an attorney who chairs the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee. He sponsored the 2006 law that prohibited smoking tobacco in indoor public places and workplaces, and has been an advocate of other environmental and pro-consumer legislation since he was elected to the Senate in 1991.

Republicans are likely to target his long-time association with Democratic power broker George Norcross III and his support for several state tax increases.

Two other congressional districts in South Jersey are not listed as competitive districts by Cook Political Report, meaning the 1st District is likely to stay Democratic, while the 2nd is likely to remain Republican.

In the 1st District, Rep. Rob Andrews of Haddon Heights has opted not to run for re-election after 18 years in office in order to wage a primary bid against Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.). Camille Andrews, his wife, is trying to keep the seat in the family. She is facing challenges from Mahdi Ibn-Ziyad of Camden and John Caramanna of Blackwood. On the Republican side, Dale Glading of Barrington is running against Fernando Powers of Blackwood.

In the 2nd Congressional District, seven-term Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd) is expected to overcome a primary contest with Donna Ward, a Ron Paul supporter. Cape May City Council member David Kurkowski is unopposed in the Democratic primary after Jeff Van Drew turned down national party pleas to take on the incumbent just months after he won a state Senate seat.

Joe Donohue may be reached at jdonohue@starledger.com or (609) 989-0208.

Published May 6th, 2008 in Burlington County Times
By: Melissa Hayes and David Levinsky

MOUNT HOLLY — Instead of celebrating Cinco de Mayo at a local cantina, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Murray Sabrin stood outside the historic Burlington County Courthouse outlining his five-point plan for immigration reform.

Another congressional candidate, State Sen. John Adler, D-6th of Cherry Hill, also campaigned in Burlington County yesterday as part of his campaign to win the 3rd Congressional District seat now held by Rep. Jim Saxton.

Sabrin, whose family came to the United States legally in 1949,said immigration would not be an issue if everyone followed the rules. Sabrin, who became a citizen in 1959 at age 12, said immigrants should "get on line" and follow procedures just as his family did. He also called for an end to amnesty for illegal immigrants.

"Citizenship should be earned, like our family did in the 1950s and millions of others before and since that did by following the rules," he said.

Sabrin said English should be the official language of the United States.

"The U.S. Constitution was written in English and these powerful words bind our nation together," he said."As someone who immigrated legally to the United States as a boy whose second language was English, my family was proud to assimilate into American culture and learn English."

Sabrin also called for both the north and south borders to be secured from immigrants and terrorists. He said birthright citizenship should end and illegal immigrants who want to live, work and pay taxes in the United States should have to pay a fine and go through thorough background checks in order to stay as legal residents.

Sabrin's Republican running mate Justin Michael Murphy, who is running for the 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by Republican Saxton of Mount Holly, said 16 border guards have been killed at the Mexico border since 2000. He said human trafficking, and drug and weapons trafficking are major problems and it's not just Mexicans who are coming across the border.

"The world knows that border is porous and not properly patrolled," he said.

Elsewhere in Burlington County, Adler, who is also running for Saxton's 3rd Congressional District seat,spoke out on veterans issues such as the need to increase the educational benefits awarded by the government's GI Bill.

"We want to make sure the educational opportunities are there for veterans to help them make a smooth transition to a successful civilian life," Adler said yesterday during a campaign event at the Millcreek Park veterans memorial in Willingboro.

"People who put their lives on the line shouldn't face setbacks." Veterans officials said the current GI Bill was created during World War II and only covers about 50 percent of the average cost of undergraduate tuition, fees and room and board, veterans officials said. Congress is considering legislation that would increase the benefits and Adler also has introduced New Jersey legislation to increase the benefits.

In addition to speaking in favor of a new GI Bill, Adler unveiled his Veterans For Adler advisory committee, which he said would advise him on veterans issues and help his campaign.

Edgar Wolf Jr., a Mount Laurel resident who served in World War II and Korea, said he believed Adler would be a friend to veterans in Congress.

"I think he's the common man's nominee," Wolf said yesterday at the Willingboro event.

Published May 6th, 2008 in Asbury Park Press
By: Kirk Moore

Declaring that full government funding of benefits and medical care is a requirement of the nation's "love and respect" for military veterans, 3rd District congressional candidate, state Sen. John H. Adler, D-Camden, made his appeal to the sizable military and veterans' vote in Burlington and
Ocean counties.

"Our nation is about security and freedom, but freedom isn't free," Adler told about 50 veterans and other supporters at Mill Creek Park here Monday. "It also requires that sacrifices be shared by the American people."

Adler, who is seeking the seat of retiring Rep. Jim Saxton, R-N.J., promised to support Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va. and help pass the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act if elected. That legislation - bills S-22 in the Senate and HR-5740 in the House - would expand educational benefits for returning servicemen and women to levels not seen since the GI ill-funded boom in college enrollments after World War II.

Veterans and military personnel account for one of the largest groups of voters in the 3rd District. In Burlington County, Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base account for many active-duty personnel and their families, while Ocean County has the largest percentage of veterans among New Jersey's 21 counties.

Adler announced he is forming a committee of veterans to help his campaign. The June 3 Republican primary will determine whether Adler will go up in the general election against Chris Myers, who is the mayor of Medford, or John P. Kelly, an Ocean County freeholder.

The first to say he's joining Adler's campaign was retired Brig. Gen. Preston M. Taylor Jr., a former New Jersey National Guard deputy adjutant general.

"We as taxpayers are going to be faced with a humongous bill to take care of these veterans," said Taylor, citing the 30,000 wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We have to do something about what's going on. We need a congressman in Washington who understands what's going on."

Taylor, who was with the New Jersey guard when it deployed during the Persian Gulf War, drew a sharp distinction between that repulse of Iraqi forces from Kuwait and the Bush administration's policy since 2003.

The invasion of Kuwait "was a true military violation. . . . That was a war of necessity. The current war is a war of choice, and not necessity," he said.

"I got to know John Adler back in those days when he was on the base at McGuire, and he's been going there since" during major deployments, Taylor said. "He's concerned about the rights and benefits of veterans, and I've been impressed with his desire to go to work for us."

Taylor recalled a rebellion four years ago in the then-Republican-controlled House of Representatives over funding for the Veterans Administration, when veterans' ally Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., was removed as chairman of the veterans' committee by the GOP leadership.

"We need to have serious oversight," Taylor said. "The people who run the VA need to be called up to the Hill to explain these programs."

Published May 6th, 2008 in Press of Atlantic City
By: Staff Reports

Democratic 3rd District U.S. House of Representatives candidate John Adler announced the formation of the Veterans for Adler advisory committee that will recommend veteran-friendly legislation to the candidate.

The announcement came during a press conference Adler held at the Veterans Memorial in Mill Creek Park on Monday where he was joined by veterans and military families.

"Our brave veterans have sacrificed their careers and their lives to protect the security and freedom of our nation," Adler said in a release. "We owe them more than the lip service they so often get out of Washington. They deserve no less than our full support for their financial, medical and many other needs here at home."

Adler compared himself to U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton, R-3rd, whose seat the state senator is attempting to fill, when he said: "Like Congressman Saxton, I will continue to be a strong advocate for our veterans and their families by making sure they have access to affordable health care coverage, tuition assistance, adequate housing, home health care, disability funding and programs vital to the well being of our veteran population."

Saxton has announced he will retire from the House when his current term expires, citing health reasons.

Adler said he will, like Saxton, make funding to the area's military bases a priority.

The Veterans for Adler committee will advise the campaign on all issues concerning veterans programs, Adler's statement said.

According to the statement, four of the issues the committee will focus on are as follows:

• Getting the Department of Veterans Affairs budget fully funded and passed on time;
• Updating and expanding the Montgomery GI Bill to increase benefits for National Guard and Reserve members;
• The creation of a standardized Transition Assistance Program to help veterans transition back into civilian life;
• The full funding of veterans programs.

 

Published April 19th, 2008 in Asbury Park Press
By: Kirk Moore

Third District congressional candidate Chris Myers' radio interview remark this week that the economy is "basically strong" drew fire from surrogates for his rival, state Sen. John H. Adler, D-Camden, who said the Republican's words show he's out of touch with the economic distress felt by working families.

Myers replied by reiterating a key theme in his campaign: that the Democratic control of the Statehouse has made New Jersey a hostile place for business and compounds economic difficulties.

"The role of government in the economy is not to increase taxes," Myers said in an interview on WPHT-AM radio in Philadelphia. "The last thing you need to do in this economy is tax people more."

Myers responded to a question from host Anthony Mazzarelli by first describing the economy as "basically strong," before adding that the federal government should be focused on job creation and setting ground conditions for more private investment.

In a prepared statement Wednesday, mayors Jason Varano of Berkeley and Randy Brown of Evesham said Myers' assessment of the economy is off-base.

"Myers' comments about the economy just show you how out of touch he is with reality and middle class families," said Varano, who suggested Myers doesn't feel the same level of uncertainty in his private-sector job as a vice president with defense contractor Lockheed Martin in Moorestown.

"It is painfully obvious that Myers will continue the failed economic policies of George Bush," Varano said.

In a response, the Myers campaign said the mayor and six-year member of Medford's Township Council "has been spurring economic growth by creating thousands of good, high-paying, private-sector jobs right here in South Jersey at Lockheed Martin."

In his interview, Myers took a swipe at Adler without naming him, saying, "we don't want to send people (to Congress) who have been in Trenton raising taxes."

Varano and Brown said Adler would help the middle class with tax cuts that make the child tax credit permanent and eliminate the marriage penalty for joint tax-return filers. He would also push for investments in alternative
energy sources to "lower the cost of gas and create new jobs," they said.

Casting Adler as a "tax-and-spend Democrat" is a central bit of rhetoric for Myers as he seeks the Republican nomination to succeed retiring Rep. Jim Saxton, who will step down at the end of the year after more than 24 years in Congress. Myers must first win over primary voters who are also considering Republican Ocean County Freeholder John P. Kelly and former Tabernacle Township Committee member Justin Murphy.