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Campaign funds are key in S. Jersey congressional race
By Cynthia Burton
Inquirer Staff Writer
Jul 22, 2008
Weakened by an expensive and bitter Republican primary, Third District congressional candidate Chris Myers goes into the general election against Democratic state Sen. John Adler facing a 10-to-1 funding gap.
Adler, meanwhile, comes into the race with the task of convincing voters who are just getting to know him to send a Democrat to Congress for the first time in memory.
Adler had $1.4 million in cash on hand going into the general election, while Myers had $155,000, according to the latest campaign finance reports.
Myers' campaign is $158,000 in debt, including $50,000 Myers loaned the campaign days before the June 3 primary.
This does not mean Myers can't raise the money to fight Adler, but he has an a lot of work ahead of him.
"I don't think they have to meet dollar for dollar," said Sharon Schulman, director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. But, she said, Myers has "got to get on a far more level playing field in terms of dollars."
Adler needs his million because he is running in a traditionally Republican district, which spans Ocean and Burlington Counties and includes Cherry Hill in Camden County.
Unlike Myers, Adler had a clear field in the primary and used his time to raise money and make connections.
Only Cherry Hill overlaps both Adler's state Senate district and the congressional district he seeks, making him a new political figure to voters in Burlington and Ocean Counties. While Democrats have had increasing successes in Burlington County, primarily on its west side, historically they have not fared well in the reliably Republican Ocean County.
"There may be a breakthrough this year because the South Jersey Democratic Party has become extremely influential over last 10 to 15 years in terms of party building and expanding its sphere of influence," said Russell Corby, a former mayor of Pine Beach who has long tried to build the Democratic Party in Ocean County. "Now we have an opportunity with Adler, who comes from the South Jersey Democratic Party with strong party-building credentials, strong public- service credentials."
Adler's record, though, is a point of contention for Myers, who declares on the campaign trail that if Adler could not fix Trenton, he will never fix Washington.
"He has no credibility to go to Washington," Myers said last week in Mount Laurel as Gov. Corzine signed a bill, supported by Adler, that makes sweeping changes to the state's affordable housing rules.
Adler's response to Myers' frequent attacks against him as a Trenton politician is that "I'm running for federal office. We have lots of national issues that we have to address and [that] President Bush and his team have failed to address."
At this point in the campaign, Adler's Trenton background appears to be helping him. Yesterday, the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey endorsed him, and earlier this month the state chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police endorsed him largely based on his legislative record.
Myers' campaign manager, Chris Russell, said he doesn't expect Adler to hold onto his financial advantage for long.
"Adler has to introduce himself to his own base," said Russell. "We're already a known quantity and a liked quantity."
Myers was not as well-liked in Ocean County, where he faced Freeholder Jack Kelly, as he was on his home turf in Burlington County in the primary, according to primary results.
Although Ocean County Republican officials say they are helping Myers, evidence has yet to show up where it now counts the most - in the war chest. Since the primary, Myers has gotten only one contribution from an Ocean County resident.
Russell said Myers was running on an aggressive fund-raising schedule and was a frequent visitor to the Ocean County side of the district.
"We will have enough money to get Chris Myers' message out," Russell said.
Contact staff writer Cynthia Burton at 856-779-3858 or cburton@phillynews.com .
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