Congressional elections may heat up in New Jersey

New Jersey Congressional districts have been drawn to favor the incumbents and discourage lively races, but the Third District race featuring John Adler (D) versus Jon Runyan (R) could get interesting.

The pace of campaigning for New Jersey’s Congressional elections is expected to pick up after this Labor Day weekend.

Many voters are upset about current economic conditions and employment prospects.

But Fairleigh Dickinson University political science professor Peter Woolley says Congressional districts were drawn to protect incumbents from both parties, so it’s difficult for voters to elect someone new.

“Most people who do vote and most people who are angry about anything tend to be partisan to begin with,” he says. “So it’s very difficult for them to find an electoral race in which they can throw the bums out because, frankly, the deck is stacked against everybody.”

Woolley does anticipate a competitive race in the Third Congressional District where Republican Jon Runyan, a former Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle, is running against freshman Democrat John Adler.  Adler is the first Democrat to hold that seat in a century.