At 6'7" tall and 315 pounds, Jon Runyan is an imposing figure and was menacing on the football field. Now he'd like to cast a big shadow in Washington, D.C. representing New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District. The former Eagle captured the GOP nomination for Congress with 59% of the vote, pitching that his his lack of political experience is a good thing.
"Yes, I have no experience in raising taxes," Runyan said the day after his win.
Runyan's opponent is first-term Democratic Congressman John Adler who was back in Washington, D.C. following his easy win in Tuesday's primary. He was swept into office, in the mostly Republican district, two years ago. Adler felt the coattail effect of President Barack Obama's New Jersey win, but now faces an anti-incumbent climate.
Congressman Adler did buck the Democratic tide by voting against the Obama health care bill. He called it too expensive. Runyan says it was a calculated political move.
On the heels of his primary win, Runyan said Wednesday that if elected, he would serve no more than 8 years. Meanwhile, Adler challenged his opponent to debate him early and often. Runyan says he's OK with that.
If the race comes down to money, John Adler is well ahead of Runyan with a cash-on-hand war chest of $1.8 million to Runyan's $135,000. Some believe Adler will need every penny to steer his campaign through the anti-incumbent waters of the 2010 election cycle.
