NJ-7

Congressional candidate Linda Stender criticized a Republican attack on her record of paying taxes Monday, saying the state GOP and her opponent took a cheap shot at her family's finances.

Earlier Monday, New Jersey Republican chairman Tom Wilson said Stender had a record of voting to raise taxes, but neglected to pay taxes due on her family business.

In a statement released Monday, Stender said she had no hand in the day-to-day operations of and received no income from the business in question, which she said was run by her mother and sister. She accused Republicans of resorting to cheap tactics to make her and her family look bad.

"This is truly a new low for the Republican attack machine, and especially disappointing Leonard Lance would stoop to such levels to avoid talking about the real issues that matter in this election," Stender said. 

"How dare they pursue personal attacks on my mother and sister who are trying to get by in the face of horrific economic conditions, thanks to the failed policies of President Bush and Republicans like Leonard Lance who support him. Leonard Lance owes my mother an apology and should tell the Republican Party in New Jersey to end these disgusting attacks," Stender added.

Stender is competing with Lance for the7th Congressional District seat of U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson, who is not seeking reelection.

New Jersey Republican Chairman Tom Wilson released a statement Monday blasting Assemblywoman and Democratic congressional candidate Linda Stender (D-Union) on her own tax problems.

In the statement, Wilson said Stender's business accrued $90,000 in unpaid local, state and federal taxes over the last three years, paying only when faced with liens on her business.

Wilson said Stender has consistently voted to raise taxes in the state Assembly while neglecting to pay her own business taxes.

"Stender's raised taxes 64 times as a legislator, but when it comes to paying her own taxes, she routinely takes a pass," Wilson said in the statement. "The last thing Congress needs is another tax and spend liberal all too eager to raise everyone else's taxes because she doesn't want to pay hers."

Stender is facing off against state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon) in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District. She failed in a 2006 bid to take the seat from incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-Ridgewood), who is not seeking reelection.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is reporting expenditures in two hotly contested U.S. House races in the Garden State today.

In the 7th Congressional District, where Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union) and state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Flemington) are competing for the seat of retiring U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-Ridgewood), the DCCC is spending about $14,000 on mail services and phone banking.

In the 3rd Congressional District, where state Sen. John Adler (D-Camden) is taking on Republican Medford Mayor Chris Myers for the seat of retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton (R-Mt. Holly), the committee is investing almost $2,000 in phone banking.

The DCCC today also reported expenditures in competitive races in Virginia, Alaska, and Illinois.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is continuing its general election advertising and mail effort, this weekend reporting expenditures in key districts in New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, Alaska and Pennsylvania.

The committee is spending about $13,000 on mailings in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, where state Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union) is taking on state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon). The committee’s investment in the district now totals just short of $40,000.

The new investments, reported Saturday, provide a window into the offense-minded posture congressional Democrats are taking this cycle. Of the six districts where the DCCC has announced new investments, only one is currently held by a Democrat.

Stender and Lance are competing for the seat of U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-Warren), who is retiring after four terms.

GREEN BROOK -- The idea has dogged State Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Flemington) since he started his congressional campaign in the 7th District: that he's well respected as a policy wonk, but doesn't have the political wherewithal to run a federal race in a fiercely competitive district.

Lance's critics found evidence of that claim when they saw that he had only $80,000 cash on hand at the end of the last reporting period to rival Linda Stender's (D-Fanwood) $1.2 million.

Today, Lance acknowledged that some of his supporters were taken aback by the anemic war chest, but noted that he's raised a lot of money since the June 30th filing deadline - which occurred just 26 days after Lance blew his war chest against a well-funded primary campaign by Kate Whitman and five other candidates.

Lance said that he doesn't know how much he's raised since then, but that he's certain it's "more than $100,000."  He also has six fundraisers scheduled over the coming months, and will stay home to campaign and raise money during the Republican National Convention in September.

The Pindell Report, a new Politicker.com product released today, shows New Jersey as being one of the most electorally competitive states in the country.

Two of the state's 13 congressional races are competitive, the report shows. Of the 435 U.S. House races across the country just 59 are considered competitive. New Jersey's 7th Congressional District race ranks as the 29th most competitive, while the 3rd Congressional District is listed as the 53rd most-competitive U.S. House race.

The Pindell Report, named after Politicker.com Managing Editor James Pindell, aims to provide the country's most dynamic and richly reported ranking and analysis of U.S. Senate, U.S. House and gubernatorial races, plus presidential swing states.

In terms of context, 31 states have at least one competitive House race, but only six states have more than New Jersey's two, according to the report.

FLEMINGTON -- Facing a string of recent U.S. House special election wins for Democrats in Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi and uncomfortable reminders of nearly losing New Jersey's 7th Congressional District in 2006, Republicans gathered at state Sen. Leonard Lance's primary election night victory party on Tuesday said they were confident that the GOP would be able to hold on to the seat of retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson in November.

"Demographics are destiny," state Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Washington) told PolitickerNJ.com at the American Legion hall in Flemington, in the heart of Lance's Hunterdon County base. Doherty said Democrat Linda Stender would have a difficult job capturing the reliably Republican congressional district, despite Stender's near defeat of Ferguson two years ago. The 7th district "was really drawn as a Republican district."

Kate Whitman says Linda Stender has voted to raise taxes 94 timesWOODBRIDGE – The Republican congressional candidates vying to succeed Rep. Mike Ferguson last night mostly found common ground by calling for President George W. Bush’s tax cuts to be made permanent, and depicting likely Democratic nominee Assemblywoman Linda Stender as a big government liberal.

A forum sponsored by the Woodbridge Township Republican Organization and held at the Forge, featured Kate Whitman, State Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon), Warren Township Mayor Victor Sordillo, Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks, former Summit Council President Kelly Hatfield, Bridgewater Town Councilman Michael Hsing, Iraq War veteran/ex-Prosecutor Thomas Roughneen, and Seton Hall University business professor A.D. Amar. Of the announced candidates, only former Hillsborough Deputy Mayor Chris Venis was absent.