John Adler
Encyclopedia
John Herbert Adler was a U.S. Representative
for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He was a member of the Democratic Party
. He was formerly a member of the New Jersey Senate
from 1992 to 2009, where he represented the 6th Legislative District. The district stretches from the suburbs of Philadelphia to Ocean County. He lost the 2010 congressional election to former football player Jon Runyan
(of the Philadelphia Eagles
).
when he was two years old. His father owned a small dry cleaning store. When Adler was in high school, his father died after a series of heart attacks. Adler and his mother lost the family business, and survived off his father's Social Security
benefits for widows and minors. He attended Haddonfield Memorial High School
. He went on to receive an B.A.
from Harvard College
in Government, and earned a J.D.
from Harvard Law School
. He paid for law school through student loans, grants and working odd jobs throughout college.
Council. While serving on the Council, Adler passed the township’s ethics ordinance.
In 1990, Adler challenged incumbent Jim Saxton for his seat in New Jersey's 13th congressional district
. Adler was defeated by Saxton by a margin of 60% to 40%.
Adler co-sponsored legislation that strips government pensions from public employees who are convicted of or plead guilty to corruption charges.
Adler co-sponsored a bill that would expand voting rights for military personnel and New Jersey citizens overseas to include state and local elections. The bill was signed into law on August 12, 2008 by Governor Corzine.
U.S. Congressman Adler was ranked by The National Journal as one of the ten most centrist members in the House of Representatives. He is ranked as 50.5 percent liberal and 49.5 percent conservative.
for President and became the Co-Chairman of John Kerry's campaign in the Garden State. Shortly afterwards on December 19, 2003, Governor of New Jersey
Jim McGreevey
and most of the New Jersey Democratic Party came out in support of Former Governor of Vermont
Howard Dean
for President. Because of this endorsement for Kerry, and Kerry's decisive win in the Democratic Primary, Adler was rumored to be the frontrunner for U.S. Attorney for New Jersey if the Senator from Massachusetts
had won the 2004 presidential election.
, leaving the seat open in the upcoming congressional elections. Adler was unopposed in the Democratic primary, and faced Republican Medford Mayor, Lockheed Martin
executive, and Gulf War
veteran Chris Myers
.
During the 2008 election cycle, Adler was one of the first elected officials in New Jersey to endorse Barack Obama
for the Democratic presidential nomination in a state where the party establishment supported Hillary Clinton. Adler held a financial advantage over his opponent through all of the race, holding a 10-1 or 5-1 funding edge over Myers for a majority of the campaign. Adler had raised the most money in the country of any non-incumbent congressional candidate.
Adler received a number of endorsements for the election, including those from the Teamsters, Fraternal Order of Police
, National Association of Police Organizations, Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey, New Jersey Environmental Federation, The Sierra Club
, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Health Care, and the Recreational Fishing Alliance.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee committed $1.7 million in ad buys to Adler's campaign. In comparison, the NRCC committed $84,200 in coordinated ad buys with the Myers campaign, in addition to help the NRCC gave in financing an internal poll in September with the Myers campaign. Myers also benefited from two ad buys by the 501(c)(4) organization Freedom's Watch
, which attacked John Adler on his tax record, his legislative history, and contributions he received from subprime mortgage companies.
Adler won a majority of newspaper endorsements. He was endorsed by the Press of Atlantic City, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the New York Times,
the Burlington County Times
,
the Courier Post, Myers received the endorsement of the Asbury Park Press
.
The 3rd district race was the last one to be called in New Jersey on Election Night 2008. Adler ultimately defeated Myers with 52.08% of the vote to Myers' 47.92%. He was sworn into his position as the Congressman from the 3rd district of New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives on January 6, 2009, the first Democrat to represent this district in 123 years.
, NJ Tea Party nominee Peter DeStefano, Libertarian nominee Russ Conger, and Your Country Again nominee Lawrence J. Donahue.
Runyan is a former Philadelphia Eagles
star and a Mount Laurel resident. Republicans will be heavily targeting this seat in this election cycle. A potential warning sign for Adler came in the New Jersey gubernatorial race in 2009, when Republican candidate Chris Christie carried Adler's district by 17 points over Democratic Governor Jon Corzine
Some Democratic operatives have asserted that Adler campaign staffers and the Camden County Democratic Committee (CCDC) recruited Tea Party candidate Peter DeStefano in an attempt to split the conservative vote and benefit Adler. New Jersey Tea Party groups said they had never heard of DeStefano until he had a strong showing in a July poll released by the Adler campaign. On October 8, 2010, the Associated Press reported, based on the details of an earlier article at CourierPostOnline.com, that there was "mounting evidence" that the Democrats recruited DeStefano. The article noted that a Democratic Party employee ran DeStefano's website and that many of the signatures on DeStefano's nominating petitions belonged to Democrats - including a former Adler campaign staffer. Reportedly, Steve Ayscue, the paid head of operations for CCDC, and Geoff Mackler, Adler's campaign manager, presented a plan at CCDC Headquarters during a May 26 meeting of the South Jersey Young Democrats, and some of those present soon joined in circulating a petition to place Peter DeStefano on the ballot. DeStefano will appear on the "NJ Tea Party" line on the November 2 ballot. Adler denies the allegations. DeStefano called the suggestion that he is a Democratic plant "a bunch of crap".
Governor Chris Christie campaigned hard for Runyan, calling Adler a "career politician". Adler lost in the 2010 midterm elections against Runyan.
leading to emergency surgery. He never recovered and died on April 4, 2011. He is survived by his wife and four sons.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He was a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He was formerly a member of the New Jersey Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
from 1992 to 2009, where he represented the 6th Legislative District. The district stretches from the suburbs of Philadelphia to Ocean County. He lost the 2010 congressional election to former football player Jon Runyan
Jon Runyan
Jon Daniel Runyan is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League, where he played for fourteen seasons. He was a participant in the 2003 Pro Bowl following the 2002 NFL season...
(of the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
).
Early life, education and career
Adler was born in Philadelphia and moved to Haddonfield, New JerseyHaddonfield, New Jersey
Haddonfield is a borough located in Camden County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a total population of 11,593....
when he was two years old. His father owned a small dry cleaning store. When Adler was in high school, his father died after a series of heart attacks. Adler and his mother lost the family business, and survived off his father's Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
benefits for widows and minors. He attended Haddonfield Memorial High School
Haddonfield Memorial High School
Haddonfield Memorial High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Haddonfield, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Haddonfield Public Schools....
. He went on to receive an B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
in Government, and earned a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. He paid for law school through student loans, grants and working odd jobs throughout college.
Early political career
From 1988 until 1989, Adler served on the Cherry Hill TownshipCherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a population of 71,045, representing an increase of 1,080 from the 69,965 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census...
Council. While serving on the Council, Adler passed the township’s ethics ordinance.
In 1990, Adler challenged incumbent Jim Saxton for his seat in New Jersey's 13th congressional district
New Jersey's 13th congressional district
New Jersey's Thirteenth Congressional District was created starting with the 73rd United States Congress in 1933, based on redistricting following the United States Census, 1930. It is currently represented by Democrat Albio Sires...
. Adler was defeated by Saxton by a margin of 60% to 40%.
New Jersey State Senate
Adler was elected in 1991 to the New Jersey State Senate, where he served from 1992 until his inauguration into the U.S. House of Representatives in 2009. While in the New Jersey State Senate, Adler served on the Judiciary Committee (as Chair) and the Environment Committee. He served on the New Jersey Israel Commission since 1995, and on the New Jersey Intergovernmental Relations Commission from 1994 to 2002.Legislation
Adler was co-sponsor of the New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act, enacted in 2006, which banned smoking in almost all public places. Adler was one of three co-sponsors of a Senate bill submitted in 2008 that would extend the smoking ban to casinos and simulcasting facilities, which had been exempted in the earlier version of the ban.Adler co-sponsored legislation that strips government pensions from public employees who are convicted of or plead guilty to corruption charges.
Adler co-sponsored a bill that would expand voting rights for military personnel and New Jersey citizens overseas to include state and local elections. The bill was signed into law on August 12, 2008 by Governor Corzine.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Financial ServicesUnited States House Committee on Financial ServicesThe United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
- Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and TechnologyUnited States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and TechnologyThe U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services...
- Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsUnited States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsThe U.S. House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services.-Jurisdiction:The Subcommittee conducts oversight of the agencies, departments, and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction...
- Committee on Veterans' AffairsUnited States House Committee on Veterans' AffairsThe standing Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the United States House of Representatives oversees agencies, reviews current legislation, and recommends new bills or amendments concerning veterans. Jurisdiction includes retiring and disability pensions, life insurance, education , vocational...
- Subcommittee on Economic OpportunityUnited States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic OpportunityThe United States Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity is one of the four subcommittees within the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.-Jurisdiction:From the House Rules:...
- Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsUnited States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsThe United States Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is one of the four subcommittees within the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity
U.S. Congressman Adler was ranked by The National Journal as one of the ten most centrist members in the House of Representatives. He is ranked as 50.5 percent liberal and 49.5 percent conservative.
Legislation
- In November 2009 and March 2010, Adler voted against House and the Senate Health Care bills. He did not sign a petition circulated by Iowa Republican Steve KingSteve KingSteven Arnold "Steve" King is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district is located in the western part of the state and includes Sioux City and Council Bluffs....
calling for a complete repeal of the law. - Adler was in favor of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
- Adler voted against the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), and has voted to end the program.
- Adler voted in favor of the American Clean Energy and Security ActAmerican Clean Energy and Security ActThe American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme...
. - Congressman Adler has voted for the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. He also voted for legislation that would prevent credit card companies from taking advantage of consumers by banning commonly occurred abuses.
- In January 2009, Adler announced his first bill as a U.S. Representative: the Safeguarding America's Seniors and Veterans Act. A version of this bill passed and provided a $250 one-time economic recovery payment for seniors and disabled veterans. The bill was designed to provide non-working seniors and veterans with the same $500 tax credit that all working Americans received through the Making Work Pay tax creditMaking Work Pay tax creditThe Making Work Pay Tax Credit was a tax credit allowed by the Internal Revenue Service of the United States. It was authorized in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009....
in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
.
2004 presidential election
On October 7, 2003, along with Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey's 8th Congressional District, Adler formally endorsed Senator John KerryJohn Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
for President and became the Co-Chairman of John Kerry's campaign in the Garden State. Shortly afterwards on December 19, 2003, Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Jim McGreevey
Jim McGreevey
James Edward "Jim" McGreevey is an American Democratic politician. He served as the 52nd Governor of New Jersey from January 15, 2002, until he resigned from office at 11:59 pm on November 15, 2004. His term was set to expire on January 17, 2006...
and most of the New Jersey Democratic Party came out in support of Former Governor of Vermont
Governor of Vermont
The Governor of Vermont is the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont. The governor is elected in even numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years; Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every two years, instead of every four...
Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
for President. Because of this endorsement for Kerry, and Kerry's decisive win in the Democratic Primary, Adler was rumored to be the frontrunner for U.S. Attorney for New Jersey if the Senator from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
had won the 2004 presidential election.
2008
On September 20, 2007, Adler announced that he planned to challenge Saxton in . On November 9, 2007, Saxton announced that he would not seek reelection in 2008, citing prostate cancerProstate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
, leaving the seat open in the upcoming congressional elections. Adler was unopposed in the Democratic primary, and faced Republican Medford Mayor, Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
executive, and Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
veteran Chris Myers
Chris Myers (New Jersey)
Chris Myers is an American business executive and politician, currently serving as Mayor in Medford, New Jersey. He was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for New Jersey's 3rd congressional district, a seat which was open due to the retirement of incumbent Jim Saxton, in 2008.-Biography:Myers was...
.
During the 2008 election cycle, Adler was one of the first elected officials in New Jersey to endorse Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for the Democratic presidential nomination in a state where the party establishment supported Hillary Clinton. Adler held a financial advantage over his opponent through all of the race, holding a 10-1 or 5-1 funding edge over Myers for a majority of the campaign. Adler had raised the most money in the country of any non-incumbent congressional candidate.
Adler received a number of endorsements for the election, including those from the Teamsters, Fraternal Order of Police
Fraternal Order of Police
The Fraternal Order of Police is an organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. It claims a membership of over 325,000 members organized in 2100 local chapters , organized into local lodges, state lodges, and the national Grand Lodge...
, National Association of Police Organizations, Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey, New Jersey Environmental Federation, The Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Health Care, and the Recreational Fishing Alliance.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee committed $1.7 million in ad buys to Adler's campaign. In comparison, the NRCC committed $84,200 in coordinated ad buys with the Myers campaign, in addition to help the NRCC gave in financing an internal poll in September with the Myers campaign. Myers also benefited from two ad buys by the 501(c)(4) organization Freedom's Watch
Freedom's Watch
Freedom's Watch was a Washington D.C. based 501 lobbying organization. Freedom's Watch was supportive of the Bush administration's positions in the War on Terror and of Republican Congressional candidates. The group was run and supported, in part, by several former officials of the Bush...
, which attacked John Adler on his tax record, his legislative history, and contributions he received from subprime mortgage companies.
Adler won a majority of newspaper endorsements. He was endorsed by the Press of Atlantic City, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the New York Times,
the Burlington County Times
Burlington County Times
The Burlington County Times is a daily newspaper located in Willingboro Township, New Jersey, USA. The Times is owned by Calkins Media....
,
the Courier Post, Myers received the endorsement of the Asbury Park Press
Asbury Park Press
The Asbury Park Press is a daily newspaper in Monmouth and Ocean counties of New Jersey and has the third largest circulation in the state...
.
The 3rd district race was the last one to be called in New Jersey on Election Night 2008. Adler ultimately defeated Myers with 52.08% of the vote to Myers' 47.92%. He was sworn into his position as the Congressman from the 3rd district of New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives on January 6, 2009, the first Democrat to represent this district in 123 years.
2010
Adler was challenged by Republican nominee Jon RunyanJon Runyan
Jon Daniel Runyan is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League, where he played for fourteen seasons. He was a participant in the 2003 Pro Bowl following the 2002 NFL season...
, NJ Tea Party nominee Peter DeStefano, Libertarian nominee Russ Conger, and Your Country Again nominee Lawrence J. Donahue.
Runyan is a former Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
star and a Mount Laurel resident. Republicans will be heavily targeting this seat in this election cycle. A potential warning sign for Adler came in the New Jersey gubernatorial race in 2009, when Republican candidate Chris Christie carried Adler's district by 17 points over Democratic Governor Jon Corzine
Some Democratic operatives have asserted that Adler campaign staffers and the Camden County Democratic Committee (CCDC) recruited Tea Party candidate Peter DeStefano in an attempt to split the conservative vote and benefit Adler. New Jersey Tea Party groups said they had never heard of DeStefano until he had a strong showing in a July poll released by the Adler campaign. On October 8, 2010, the Associated Press reported, based on the details of an earlier article at CourierPostOnline.com, that there was "mounting evidence" that the Democrats recruited DeStefano. The article noted that a Democratic Party employee ran DeStefano's website and that many of the signatures on DeStefano's nominating petitions belonged to Democrats - including a former Adler campaign staffer. Reportedly, Steve Ayscue, the paid head of operations for CCDC, and Geoff Mackler, Adler's campaign manager, presented a plan at CCDC Headquarters during a May 26 meeting of the South Jersey Young Democrats, and some of those present soon joined in circulating a petition to place Peter DeStefano on the ballot. DeStefano will appear on the "NJ Tea Party" line on the November 2 ballot. Adler denies the allegations. DeStefano called the suggestion that he is a Democratic plant "a bunch of crap".
Governor Chris Christie campaigned hard for Runyan, calling Adler a "career politician". Adler lost in the 2010 midterm elections against Runyan.
Personal life
Adler met his wife Shelley, in law school. He converted to her faith of Judaism in 1985, having been raised an Episcopalian. After they graduated, they returned to South Jersey and settled down in Cherry Hill. They resided in Cherry Hill with their four sons until his death.Death
In March 2011, Adler contracted a staph infection which resulted in endocarditisEndocarditis
Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves . Other structures that may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendineae, the mural endocardium, or even on intracardiac devices...
leading to emergency surgery. He never recovered and died on April 4, 2011. He is survived by his wife and four sons.