Retiring Holt says N.J. interests in good hands with congressional delegation

A day after announcing he will not seek re-election to a ninth term in Congress, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt said he doesn’t believe his decision will affect New Jersey’s ability to get federal funds.

Analysts say the departure of Holt, along with Congressmen Rob Andrews, a Democrat, and Jon Runyan, a Republican, will make it tougher for New Jersey to obtain federal money for transportation projects, beach replenishment, and additional Sandy aid.

But Holt, a Democrat representing Central Jersey’s 12th District, said the state still has some experienced members of Congress to get things done.

“The ability to pass legislation depends more on being able to write good legislation, which comes with experience, but you don’t need to have decades of experience to be able to do that,” said Holt. “So I don’t think it affects New Jersey’s interests.”

Holt still won’t say what he wants to do when he retires from Congress at the end of the year. An astrophysicist, he previously helped direct the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and has been a teacher.

Several potential candidates have expressed an interest in running for his seat, and Holt says he has no doubt that whoever replaces him will do a good job.