Linda Stender

If John Adler and Linda Stender win their races for Congress, they'll accomplish a feat that rarely occurs in New Jersey -- winning the seat of a retiring Congressman from the other party in a contest unrelated to the drawing of new districts. The last time this happened was in 1994, when Republican Frank LoBiondo won after Democrat William Hughes retired.

The last time the GOP failed to hold the seats of retiring incumbents was in 1964, when Democrat James Howard succeeded Republican James Auchincloss, and Democrat Paul Krebs followed Republican George Wallhauser.

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The Star-Ledger today endorsed state Sen. Leonard Lance over Assemblywoman Linda Stender for Congress in the 7th District.

The largest newspaper in the state called Lance (R-Flemington) a “moderate Republican in the Clifford Case mold,” and lauded his environmental record and his “bone-deep distaste for debt.”

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Democrats will pick up congressional seats of retiring Reps. Jim Saxton and Mike Ferguson as part of a national trend that will net them seven U.S. Senate seats and sixteen House seats national, according to James Pindell, the editor of Politicker.com's Pindell Report, which provides independent analysis of federal and state races.

Pindell says that Democrat Frank Lautenberg will win re-election to the U.S. Senate and that Barack Obama will carry New Jersey and win its fifteen electoral votes.

"In two Republican-leaning districts, Democrats John Adler and Linda Stender are going to Congress," said Pindell. "Democrats have momentum and they're winning just about all of the marginal races."

The Pindell Report has the Senate at 58-41, and the House at 252-180.  The Senate races in Alaska, and House races in Florida, New Mexico and Kansas, remain toss-ups.

"The economy, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush combine to push Senate and House races that were toss-ups last week into the Democratic column," said Pindell.   "While the Democrats will control the White House and both houses of Congress, they won't get the 60 Senate seats they need for a filibuster-proof majority." Read More >

              -- "Lance by far best choice in 7th District --

GREEN BROOK, NJ - Seventh District congressional candidate Leonard Lance today was endorsed by the Home-News Tribune. 

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-- Under Fire for Negative Ads; Spending Scandal, Stender Runs and Hides --

GREEN BROOK, NJ - Seventh District congressional candidate Leonard Lance today criticized his opponent Assemblywoman Linda Stender for canceling yet another already scheduled debate.  This time, Stender cancelled the 10/29 debate sponsored by the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce.

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UPDATED

Linda Stender’s campaign chastised a Star-Ledger columnist for writing that a piece of campaign literature from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee came from her own campaign.

At issue is conservative columnist Paul Mulshine’s most recent piece, which was circulated by Stender rival Leonard Lance’s campaign via press release this morning. The campaign literature Mulshine referred to claimed that Lance was in cahoots with former Gov. Christie Whitman on pension bonding in 1997.

Lance was actually one of the most vocal critics of pension bonding, and has made that a centerpiece of his current congressional run.

Mulshine called the mailer “the single sleaziest campaign ad I have ever seen.”

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State Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Flemington), who’s running against Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) in the 7th Congressional District, has $258,032 on hand to Stender’s $602,275.

That’s a significant improvement over last quarter, which Lance, bruised from a primary fight, had only $80,000 on hand. He raised $522,941 between July 1st and September 30th, while Stender raised $622,285.

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  -- Calls Lance "Solid, Responsible Candidate Likely To Appeal to Voters" - 

GREEN BROOK, NJ - Star-Ledger columnist Paul Mulshine today took Linda Stender to task in a scathing column that criticized Stender's campaign advertisements against Seventh Congressional candidate Leonard Lance. 

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In the 7th District, Leonard Lance and Linda Stender both brought the heavy hitters in today.

Lance had a fundraising luncheon this afternoon with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who yesterday raised money for Lance's 3rd District counterpart, Chris Myers.

Stender is having a diner sit down in Woodbridge with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who’s made at least three trips to New Jersey this election cycle, campaigning for for Stender, 3rd District Democratic candidate John Adler and 5th District candidate Dennis Shulman.

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State Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon) and Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood): Politicker file photo 

In their hour-long News 12 television debate tonight, state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon) and Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) used names associated with tarnished political reputations in an effort to sink each other in their tightly contested 7th Congressional District race.

Stender tried to tie Lance to President George W. Bush and former Gov. Christie Todd Whitman, while Lance fingered Stender as a onetime silent foot-soldier of former Gov. Jim McGreevey and drone for Gov Jon Corzine.

The Democrat stayed on the offensive more than the Republican, in part because Lance is running on a Lieberman-like message of bipartisanship. It was the same theme he used to illustrate his willingness to stand up to his own party if it means protecting taxpayers - and here he strongly objected to Stender’s attempt to tie him to Whitman.

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