Big Jon's Big Run for Congress Begins

Runyan launches GOP campaign for Congress

Former Eagles offensive tackle Jon Runyan is “in it to win it” as he aims to tackle national politics.

And, Big Jon is willing to spend his own money to win his campaign for Congress in New Jersey, he said Thursday.

The ex-Eagle retired from football after a stint with the San Diego Chargers to run as a Republican in New Jersey's 3rd District, where his party was expecting a competitive race even before a football star well known in the area threw his helmet in the ring.

His formal campaign launch is scheduled for Thursday.

He said Wednesday in an interview with several reporters about his background, ambitions and positions that he's doing fundraising, but that he won't rely solely on donors as he challenges John Adler, a first-term Democrat who already had $1.4 million in his campaign war chest by Dec. 31.

“If my money comes into play, it does. If it doesn't, it doesn't,” he said. “I'm going to do everything I can to win this campaign. I'm not in it to compete. I'm in it to win it.”

The main reason he wants to run is to try to control federal government spending, he said. He cited the legislation to overhaul health insurance as an example of what he sees as government trying to do too much.

“I don't think that the way that Washington's approaching it right now, by spending another big spending bill, they're going to end up raising taxes -- that doesn't need to be done,” he said.

He favors allowing insurance companies to sell policies across state lines. That, he said, would reduce insurance costs and increase the availability of coverage without affecting taxpayers.

Adler's campaign has touted his centrist, independent positions in Congress. Last month, the National Journal ranked him as one of the 10 most centrist members of Congress.

The big example of breaking with his party: He's opposing the Senate version of the health care bill, a move that's upsetting those on the left.

The difference is that Adler opposed the bill because of some of its details, while Runyan opposes it on broader principles, Big Jon said.

Adler's critics, including Runyan, say he's really a liberal positioning himself as a moderate to try to hold onto his job in the district, which stretches across South Jersey from the Philadelphia suburbs to the shore.

Adler spokeswoman Kathryn Prael disputed that, he has always voted to cut unneeded government spending, she said.

Runyan’ a conservative on most issues and is still learning about the district, where he has lived since 2000, he said. For instance, he said he generally favors increasing nuclear power production as a way to foster energy independence.

But he doesn't have a stand on specifics, including whether the Oyster Creek plant in his district should be required to build cooling towers or whether it's a good idea to build a second plant in the area.

He also said that he doesn't expect to spend the rest of his career in politics and that he brings an outsider's view. That's a contrast, he said, with Adler, a Democrat who worked his way up through local and state politics before joining Congress.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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