In a huge boost for Democratic hopes to expand their House majority, Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ) will face a major challenge in his bid for a 14th term in 2008. Democratic state Sen. John Adler announced yesterday that he will challenge the incumbent. It would be Adler’s second challenge to Saxton: his first attempt, in 1990 at age 31, fell short by 19 points. But Democrats believe that Adler, who seasoned himself with lengthy experience in the New Jersey state Senate since his Congressional loss, is their guy to finally oust Saxton.
“Not since Watergate have the Republicans been this low in national public opinion polls — and in New Jersey, Republicans are held in even lower esteem than the national average,” said Steve Ayscue, a Democratic strategist. “If things stay the course, Democrats can expect to make gains in the U.S. House by as many as 20 seats or more next year. It certainly helps that the national Democrats have been busy recruiting top-notch talent to run for Senate and House seats — candidates who can raise substantial money independent of the leadership.”Ayscue continued: “I’ve never seen this much attention from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on New Jersey races, including the 3rd District — perhaps because this district is strikingly similar, demographically, to Congressman Patrick Murphy’s ‘swing’ district in suburban Pennsylvania. The last time Senator Adler ran for this seat it was 1990 and a very difficult political environment for Democrats. This time around I expect Senator Adler to run a highly effective campaign to prove the need for change, but given Saxton’s lock-step support of the failed Bush-Rove agenda he will make the case for Adler even easier.”
As Democrats aim to expand their House majority, districts like Saxton’s are a good place to start. While Bush won the district by under 3% in 2004, Al Gore carried the district by a wide 10% margin in 2000. With the chance of the Democratic Presidential nominee improving upon John Kerry’s mediocre performance in the state, Adler and the DCCC hope to channel voter discontent over the war in Iraq into another pick-up opportunity. Adler starts the campaign with a leg up over other potential candidates: he has $194,000 available in his coffers — money left over from a Senatorial campaign committee that he opened in 2003 in the event of a retirement from Senator Frank Lautenberg.
(H/T: Blue Jersey)