Runyan's Position On Obamacare Is Clear!

A special message from the Jon Runyan campaign:

Dear Friends,


If I had $5 for every time Shelley Adler refused to answer a question about her position on Obamacare, I could afford the huge property tax increases she voted for as a Cherry Hill Councilwoman.


Well, ok, maybe it wouldn't be THAT much money...but you get the idea!


In all seriousness, it's problematic that a candidate for Congress in 2012 won't clearly tell the voters where he or she stands on this pressing issue.


She's avoided direct questions from our campaign, from members of the press, and even from taxpayers who have asked her face-to-face on the campaign trail.


Congressman Runyan has consisently made his position clear, and did so again today by voting to repeal Obamacare because we can't afford the $500 billion in new taxes that come with it. The fact is, even if I had $5 for every time Shelley Adler refused to answer a question about her position on Obamacare, I still wouldn't have enough money to pay for 1 year of the Obamacare Tax.


As little as $5 can really add up, and that's what I'm asking each of our supporters to do today - send a message that you support a candidate that clearly states his positions by making a contribution of $5 or more. With your help, we'll build a grassroots campaign to keep this seat and continue the effort to repeal and replace this law.


Thanks for your support!


Kristin Antonello
Campaign Manager

Runyan For Congress

Congressman Runyan Reacts To Challenger's Candidacy

Congressman Jon Runyan has released the following statement on Shelley Adler's candidacy for Congress:

I welcome Mrs. Adler into the race,” said Rep. Runyan. “If she is ultimately the Democratic nominee, I look forward to a spirited campaign on the issues that matter to the residents of Burlington and Ocean counties.”
“I intend to run on my record of standing up to President Obama’s failed big-government agenda, fighting to restore fiscal responsibility and implement pro-growth economic policies that create jobs and opportunity for all Americans, preserving and strengthening Medicare for current and future generations, and strongly supporting our veterans, active military and the operations at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.”
Runyan consultant Chris Russell pointed to Mrs. Adler’s decision to run despite not living in the newly-configured 3rd Congressional District.
“After the Carl Lewis fiasco and the public backlash towards him, you would think candidates would be more wary of seeking elected office in a district that they don’t actually live in,” added Russell.

Remembering John Adler

Reactions and remembrances are pouring in on the death of former Congressman John Adler:

Congressman Adler was a fine public servant and a good person. His untimely death is an awful shock. Mary Pat and I will be praying for his wife, Shelley, and their four sons during this sad and tragic time.
--Governor Chris Christie

I want to extend my deepest sympathies to former Congressman John Adler's family and friends, especially his wife, Shelley, and his four boys. May John rest in peace, and may those he left behind be comforted by the knowledge that his lifetime of public service to our community has left a lasting legacy for which they can be most proud.
--Congressman Jon Runyan


I want to extend my deepest condolences to John's wife, Shelley, their four boys, and the entire Adler family. John was smart, passionate, energetic, and dedicated throughout his long career in public service. He was a friend to all of us in the Senate and a living reminder that it is possible to disagree with one another without being disagreeable. New Jersey is a better place having been served by John Adler. He will be missed.
--Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr.

Having served with John in both Washington and Trenton, I can attest that he was a good man who was deeply dedicated to South Jersey and those he represented. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Shelley, their sons and family.
--Congressman Frank LoBiondo

 No matter what office he held, the congressman always advocated fiercely for his constituents and those whose voices otherwise wouldn't have been heard. His passing is a tragic loss for our state, but his legacy of intelligent and classy leadership will not be forgotten.
--Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver

Today is a sad day in New Jersey. John Adler was a talented, devoted public servant who worked with a special concern for the people he represented and all of New Jersey. My deepest condolences go out to John’s wife, Shelley, and his four sons. John will be missed, but his honesty of character will not be forgotten.
--Senator Frank Lautenberg

Today the state of New Jersey and Cherry Hill lost a dedicated public servant who was a bright, energetic and thoughtful advocate for our community. From the moment I met John and his family, I knew he was driven to work hard for the people of this town, the 6th District and the 3rd Congressional District. From his service and body of work there is no question that we live in a better place because of John’s actions as our representative.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Shelley, the boys, and their extended family during this very difficult period of time. And while this is a solemn time, John has left a vibrant legacy for this Township.
--Cherry Hill Mayor Bernie Platt 


My heart goes out to the Adler family, his wife Shelly and their four children. John spent the better part of two decades serving the people of New Jersey with candor and vigor. His intellect and energy was a benefit to his constituents and all who had the honor of serving with him. This is a great loss for New Jersey. He will be truly missed. 
--Senator Diane Allen

Former Congressman Adler, 51, Dies

We were saddened this afternoon to hear of the death of former Congressman John Adler.
Adler died today at the age of 51.. Far, far too young.
Our hearts and prayers go out to his family.
John Adler had undergone emergency heart surgery for an infection three weeks ago.
We knew at that time that the situation was serious.
But we remained hopeful. And we prayed for him and his family.
"We are saddened at the passing of former U.S. Rep. John Adler," read a statement from his employer, Greenberg Traurig.
"We extend our deepest condolences to his family and to his community. John's dedication to public service and the law were truly inspirational. We were fortunate to have had the opportunity to call him colleague and friend."
Adler joined the law firm in February after losing his re-election bid last November to Republican Jon Runyan, a former Philadelphia Eagle.
We saw John Adler at a holiday event in December and exchanged pleasantries with him. He seemed philosophical about his recent loss and was looking forward to the future.
John Adler was a bright, deeply committed public servant, a fine husband and father, a good neighbor and an outstanding citizen. As a public official he had an admirable record of accomplishment.
His loss will be deeply felt.

Former Congressman Adler Undergoes Heart Surgery

Our thoughts and prayers go out today to former South Jersey Congressman John Adler who's in the hospital recovering from heart surgery.
We last saw Congressman Adler over the Christmas holidays and enjoyed a nice chat with him.
He was philosophical about his loss in last November's election and appeared to be in a confident state of mind -- very much looking forward to the future. He's a bright guy and we wish him nothing but the best -- a long and happy life surrounded by the joys of family and friends.
With more details, here's an excerpt from a story by Jane Roh at the Camden Courier-Post:

Former U.S. Rep. John Adler, a longtime New Jersey state senator and councilman in Cherry Hill, is recovering from emergency heart surgery, the Courier-Post has confirmed.
Per a statement from his current employer, law firm Greenberg Traurig:

Former Representative John Adler had emergency heart surgery after contracting staph bacterial endocarditis. He is recuperating in the hospital in the company of his family. At this time, Mr. Adler and his family request that their wishes for privacy be respected. Thank you for all your good wishes and show of friendship and support.

Click here for more on this story.
If and when we know where you can send get-well messages, we will let you know.

Yo, Jon: Our Hopes And Prayers Are With You!

Our hope and prayers this morning are with Jon Runyan and his family as Jon takes the oath of office as the new Member of Congress from New Jersey's Third Congressional District.
We wish Congressman Runyan the very best. We know he is determined to do a great job and we are confident he will continue to make us proud.
We also extend best wishes and congratulations to new Pennsylvania Comgressman mike Fitzpatrick and Pat Meehan. They, too are part of the dawning of a new day both in Washington and here in the Phladelphia region.
And we also thank Congressman John Adler for his service to our district as he leaves office. We wish Congressman Adler and his family the very best.

Welcome, Congressman-Elect Runyan!

Ohhhh . . . what a night it was last night in South Jersey as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the GOP whopped it up to celebrate the stunning victory of Jon Runyan over Congressman John Adler.
The Governor placed his bet on Runyan early-on and the Governor was right.
Christie made no secret about the fact that no race in the state was more important to him and to New Jersey's Republican Party than this one and the Governor was clearly delighted with the results.
Let me be the first to say this, Christie said: "I give you Congressman-Elect Jon Runyan."
As for Runyan, he was elated and humbled but also as animated as I've ever seen him.
"I'm going to be the biggest person on the House floor," Runyan said. "But I'm going to take all that bigness and use it to shrink the size of government."
With that, the crowd roared its approval.
Christie, Runyan and other GOP leaders lingered to shake hands with the crowd -- an ebullient crowd that was reluctant to let them go.
It's hard to underestimate just how much Republicans in Camden, Burlington and Ocean counties thirsted for this victory. How sweet it is!
Christie and

Dem Dirty Tricks Target Runyan -- AGAIN!

Today’s headline from the Burlington County Times says it all: Another attack on Runyan
Over the past few days illegal mail pieces lying about Jon Runyan, promoting the fake “Tea Party” candidate have been hitting voters in the Third District.
The Democrats think they can trick you in to supporting a fraudulent candidate instead of Jon Runyan. You can click here to see the illegal mail pieces lying about Jon.
In addition to sending out illegal mail pieces, they have begun attacking Jon online through false attack ads that attempt to garner support for this fraud.
Here is a screen shot of the ads all over the internet:



They even hijacked the web site NJTeaPartyCoalition.org to make it look like the Tea Party was actually supporting this fraud.
Runyan & Co. are so close to winning this election – don't let the Democrats steal it now. Team Runyan has launched a web page – www.StopTheFakeTeaParty.com – detailing these dirty tricks and they need you to help spread the word about it.
Tell your friends and neighbors -- and spread the word via e-mail, text, Facebook and Twitter!

A Special Message From Governor Chris Christie

Click here to help Jon Runyan

Another Poll Shows Runyan Advancing

A new Monmouth University Poll of 1,037 likely voters finds NJ third district congressional candidate Jon Runyan building a significant lead in his race to unseat the incumbent John Adler.. The survey, conducted Oct. 22 to 25, found Runyan ahead 48 percent to 43 percent for Adler. The margin of error was +/-  3.1 percent.
This latest poll, along with a Stockton/Zogby poll released on Friday, show Runyan plowing ahead. At the same time, Adler is stuck or slipping.

A Special Message From ' Runyan For Congress'

From Jon Runyan's Campaign Manager:

I had to share this with you immediately. Since July 6^th our campaign has made 447,074 volunteer phone calls and door knocks. Yes - 447,074!
More than 700 volunteers have made phone calls and knocked on doors to help spread Jon’s message of lower taxes and less government. That doesn’t include the 800+ people that attended our events with Governor Christie in the past few days! The grassroots momentum is clearly on our side and these are incredible numbers for our campaign.
Recent polls show us in the lead and this race was recently called the most competitive House race in the nation by Politico. Now the Democrats are spending more money than ever to save John Adler because they know he is a reliable vote for Nancy Pelosi’s reckless agenda.
We need your help now.
We are in the midst of the most aggressive Get Out The Vote (GOTV) operation in the country. We have dozens of people making phone calls and knocking on doors every day to make sure our supporters go to the polls, but we need you to join our grassroots efforts now more than ever. This is crunch time and there is no doubt that we will win with your help.
Click here to sign up to help us Get Out the Vote. 
If you are unable to volunteer over the next 7 days, perhaps you will consider making a contribution to our campaign. Your donation of $200, $100, or $25 will help us increase our presence on TV and supply our hard working volunteers with plenty of food to keep them going. Click here to donate what you can, right now. 
There are just 7 days left until Election Day and we are counting on you to help us finish strong.

Hope to see you in one of our offices soon…

Thanks,

Kristin Antonello
Campaign Manager
Runyan for Congress

Bombshell: Adler's H'town Paper Endorses Runyan

Today, Congressman John Adler's hometown newspaper endorsed Jon Runyan for Congress in the hotly contested New Jersey third district race.
This morning's  Courier Post's editorial admits that Adler is smart and seems to know the issues, BUT.
Well, here's how the Courier puts it:

But Adler's campaign has conducted itself miserably this year. His campaign team, as reported by the Courier-Post, has tried to deceive conservative voters by working on a petition drive to get "NJ Tea Party" candidate Peter DeStefano on the ballot. The Adler campaign's hope was that a fake Tea Party candidate would lure away just enough would-be Republican voters to hand Adler a narrow win.
It's disgraceful, and, despite our detailed reporting of what went on, Adler is sticking to the line that he wasn't involved in the De- Stefano petition drive and doesn't believe his staff was either. . . . 
we are endorsing Runyan because we feel that of the two candidates in the race most likely to be elected, he is the better choice.The actions of Adler's campaign staffers and his tepid denials of knowledge about what went on just leave a cloud of distrust over him. He would seemingly stoop to a very low level of trickery to win re-election, and that we cannot endorse.

The Courier says its editorial board deliberated long and hard but that this was the only reasonable choice in the end.
Click here to read the full editorial.

On the either side of the district, the Courier's sister newspaper The Asbury Park Press also failed to endorse Adler. Here's what The Press said:

We have long had concerns about Adler, starting with his being a lackey of South Jersey power broker George Norcross Jr. If Adler is telling the truth that he had nothing to do with the DeStefano candidacy, someone with the Camden County Democratic organization clearly did.Adler's insistence that neither he nor his campaign manager had any knowledge of the circumstances leading to DeStefano's candidacy don't ring true. Even if they didn't know about it, Adler should have found out who was responsible, publicly upbraided them and purged them from his campaign.
We also have been displeased with other aspects of Adler's campaign, including his recent self-characterization as a moderate. He, as much as any Democrat in Trenton, helped New Jersey get in the financial mess it finds itself in today. His vote against President Barack Obama's health care bill struck us as nothing more than a calculated attempt to portray himself as a centrist in a relatively conservative district.

Click here to read the full APP editorial.

The APP's rejection of Adler is clear. But it is the backing of Adler's hometown newspaper that Runyan now gets to wear as a bright new star on his helmet. It's as if this former football standout not only succeeded in holding back the opposition but also sent them reeling into the end zone -- and on their home turf at that.
As the final week of the campaign begins, Runyan definately seems to have the momentum.

Chris Christie On Adler's Record: Don't Be Fooled!

"There's nothing moderate about John Adler's record.
John Adler's record, for better or for worse, is that of someone who is a career politician, who has voted with Jon Corzine and Jim McGreevey and Dick Codey 99 percent of the time - voted with Nancy Pelosi 90% of the time. 
This is not a moderate, ladies and gentlemen. Don't let him fool you."
--Governor Chris Christie

Shock Poll: Is Runyan Pulling Away?

The Richard Stockton College/Zogby poll of likely 3rd Congressional District voters (just released) shows John Runyan gaining rapidly on John Adler while Adler appears to be stagnant or slipping in support.
Here's the shocker: Runyan has picked up 10 points since the last survey on September 21 while Adler has dropped a point among likely voters: The results: Runyan 40%, Adler 37%. The third hopeful, a fake Tea Party candidate said to be placed on the ballot by Adler's people, has seen his support drop from 7.6% to 4.9%. This is not uncommon as additional candidates tend to lose support as voters focus on the two major party candidates as election day draws near.
The poll also shows Runyan gaining solidly among undecideds. 
Meanwhile, Adler can't seem to get his numbers above 40% That's not a good position for an incumbent to be in. All the stories about the phony Tea Party candidate and Adler's apparent stonewalling on the issue may have hurt him.
Here's how Fox 29 reporter Bruce Gordon describes the situation:Jon Runyan, the former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman, is looking to pancake the Democratic incumbent John Adler come Election Day, and a brand new poll suggests he just might do it.
And here's how Jane Roh at the Courier-Post sums it up:
Republican Jon Runyan is gaining ground among undecided voters in the final stretch of the tight congressional matchup with Democratic Rep. John Adler, according to a Richard Stockton College/Zogby poll released Friday.

Support for Runyan among likely voters jumped 10 points, to 40 percent, since a September survey. Adler, meanwhile, is stuck in neutral. 

And here's Cynthia Burton from the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Republican congressional candidate Jon Runyan surged 10 points in an independent poll released Friday, and to top off the day, Gov. Christie told about 300 of the former Eagle's supporters at an afternoon rally that "this is the most important race in New Jersey to me."

Click here to help Jon Runyan!

Christie Fires Up Runyan Troops

 From left: NJ Assembly members Dawn Marie Addiego and Scott Rudder, 

Governor Christie, Jon Runyan (behind Christie)  and Loretta Runyan.

The National Phenomenon known as Chris Christie -- New Jersey's OWN Governor Chris Christie -- came to South Jersey this afternoon to fire up GOP troops working hard in the campaign of 3rd district congressional candidate Jon Runyan.
Christie delighted a large crowd outside Runyan's campaign headquarters in Mt. Laurel as he reminisced about his own election more than a year ago. "I know how happy you were to finally elect a Republican Governor in New Jersey after 12 long years. And believe me, I like it. It's better than losing," Christie joked. "But we need to do that again. We need to repeat that triumph here."
Fresh off a cross-country tour and interviews by national media, Christie was in his element as he told the Burlington County party faithful that "no race in New Jersey is more important to me than this one, this year." The Governor quickly added that "I do not say this to diminish the importance of any other race and all of our fine Republican candidates all over the state."
But Christie said,  "I have been with Jon Runyan over these past several months and I have been impressed with him. I like his direct, honest approach. We have a chance in this district to replace a Corzine liberal with a common sense conservative and we need to do that. It's time to send John Adler back to the practice of law. It's time to send Jon Runyan to Congress," Christie added.
The Governor joked that his father lives in the third district (in Ocean County) and "he's working, making phone calls for Jon Runyan. And he tells me all the time when he working Jon's phone bank. And I know I don't want to disappoint my father and neither do you."
After he spoke I told the Governor how happy I was to see him in South Jersey since no Governor in my lifetime has visited this part of the state this often in the space of one year. "Thanks, Dan," he answered. "I appreciate it and I LOVE the blog."
Following the event, the Governor headed to nearby Marlton to greet patrons at a diner and then he was off to Gloucester County and Salem County -- more time in South Jersey with the good people of this part of the state during this lovely time of the year.

Runyan: Calm, Confident Focused In Stretch

I had a chat with NJ third district congressional candidate Jon Runyan yesterday and I can report to you that Jon is calm and confident as the election approaches.
In fact, throughout this campaign, I have never seen Jon Runyan flinch. He is a well-grounded man who knows who he is -- someone who pursues goals clearly and steadily,
In more ways than one, this man is solid. And that builds confidence and brings out the best in others. To me, these are the marks of a leader.
Jon Runyan told me that he thinks that incumbent Congressman John Adler wants to talk about anything but the imbroglio surrounding the Adler campaign's alleged involvement in placing a fake Tea Party candidate on the ballott to siphon off votes from Runyon.
"He's trying to cover up on a lie that has been created," Runyan said. "He doesn't want to answer questions about this. He dismisses it." And Runyan said that he believes Adler "knows his campaign manager was involved" in the alleged scheme.
Runyan said he feels the trickery and the subsequent stonewalling are "an insult to the voters."
I asked Runyan how much of an impact the fake candidate incident is having on the election.
Runyan told me that Adler wants to pretend that the affair isn't a factor. "But this whole thing is actually turning a lot of people off" [to Adler], he added.
"This is a backhanded way to try to win an election," Runyan said. "And there's a huge amount of arrogance involved here."
I also asked Jon Runyan how he would answer Washington pundits and others who say he has "underperformed" in his race against Adler.
"Maybe they see me that way because I'm an outsider," Runyan answered. "But I can tell you that I'm giving it everything I'm got. For the past two months, it's been nothing but 14 to 16 hour days for me. It's fun but it's a lot of hard work."
Speaking just like the former pro-football standout that he is, Runyan added: "If they want to judge performance, let's judge it after everything's said and done and we see who's won or lost."
Runyan said his campaign and his volunteer team are also working very hard. "People have been wonderful. Volunteer numbers and volunteer enthusiasm are huge," he explained. "We've got a whole group of people making phone calls right now just in the Mt. Laurel (Burlington County) office and that's going on every day."
Runyan also said he expects a big election day showing out of Ocean County where he has campaigned extensively. "People there are very fired up," he noted.
I asked Runyan if he expected any "October surprises" from the Adler camp. "Well, it's been very negative, very dirty, very personal," he answered. "I don't put anything past them. But, we're ready."
Like I said, Runyan is remarkably calm and focused.
He's not easily distracted from his goal. He's determined to be elected.
After my conversation with Jon Runyan, I read a somewhat laudatory profile piece on John Adler in the Philadelphia Inquirer. However, the reader comments that followed the story were largely negative.
Here's what one reader wrote:

"Vote for the lifelong leech....or do the smart thing....vote for a man who owes NOBODY anything...and is not afraid of anyone or the party bosses....One guy is a typical politician, kissing up to his party's line and making a kingdom for himself in DC. The other says it is time for a change and I owe NOBODY anything."

Adler Supports Pelosi -- But Won't Admit It!

Click here to help Jon Runyan for Congress. Do it now!

'Fake John Adler' Emerges On Twitter

John Adler with Joe Roberts and Jon Corzine

From the CCGOP Chairman's Blog:

Well we cannot say it was unexpected.  John Adler’s bogus denial of his involvement with the fake tea party candidate Peter DeStefano has led to a “Fake John Adler”. 
Ok …. I know what you are saying “no one could be faker than the John Adler himself”.  (Yes we know it was Adler who self-proclaimed that he was an independent minded centrist and that begs us to forget Adler’s liberal Democrat record in the New Jersey Senate.)
We are referencing  “Fake John Adler” who has appeared on Twitter.  You can follow Fake John Adler here: www.twitter.com/fakejohnadler 

The tweets of Fake John Adler are a humorous diversion from an otherwise intense race to shape our nations future. 
If there is going to be a fake tea party candidate we guess it is only appropriate to have a Fake John Adler.  Unfortunately for New Jersey we had the Fake John Adler long before Peter DeStefano got involved in this race.

Portrait Of A Desperate Man

Desperation is not very attractive. Not at all.
Click here to help the Jon Runyan campaign.

Runyan's New Ad: The REAL Adler Record

Click here to help Jon Runyan bring responsibility back to Congress.