As of 2025, this is the last time the Republicans won the popular vote for the House in New Jersey, even though they did not win a majority of congressional seats.

He won re-election in 2008 with 59%, despite Democrat Barack Obama simultaneously carrying the district.

Retired NFL player Jon Runyan was a star offensive lineman who played most of his career with the nearby Philadelphia Eagles as the South Jersey district is a suburb of Philadelphia.

In May he took the unusual step[citation needed] of revealing some controversial information about himself: that he was late to pay some taxes and was sued in some business dealings.

[citation needed] With $1.7 million in Adler's campaign account back in April, he has a major cash advantage.

On October 8, 2010, CourierPostOnline.com reported that Steve Ayscue, the paid head of operations for the Camden County Democratic Committee (CCDC), and Geoff Mackler, sent by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to manage John Adler's campaign, devised a plan to put a candidate on the ballot to divert votes from Republican Jon Runyan.

They presented the plan at CCDC Headquarters during a May 26 meeting of the South Jersey Young Democrats, and some of those present joined in circulating a petition to place Peter DeStefano, owner-operator of a picture-framing business, on the ballot.

"[4] In 2008, State Senator John Adler defeated Chris Myers, a town councilman, with 52% of the vote, while Obama carried the district with the same amount.

†Internal poll for Adler campaign Republican Chris Smith has been in Congress since 1981.

Ultimately, Pallone lost his home county of Monmouth for the first and only time in his career.

The Democratic challenger is former high school science teacher Ed Potosnak, who if elected would be the first openly gay member of New Jersey's congressional delegation.