Remembering John Adler

I admit I'm a little late in wishing my condolences to the family of the Congressman John Adler who past away yesterday. There has been many fine pieces written about Adler since his passing and I don't really have much to add.

I met him once by chance, a couple of years ago when he was running for congress. I was spending the a spectacular day down in South Jersey with the family when I ran into him pressing palms and working the crowd at the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival. I didn't know him from Adam and told him I was Middletown. That didn't seem to matter to him, he was polite, cordial and a pleasure to speak to. Only afterwards when I got home and googled his name, did I realize he was a rather prominent and highly thought of member of the NJ State Senate.

When he went on to win his congressional seat later that November, I thought it was pretty cool bumping into him the way I had because I seriously didn't think he could win his district. The seat was held by a string of Republicans for as long as anyone could remember and was considered by many, to be a very close toss-up between him and his opponent.

Sadly he lost his bid for reelection last year to former Philadelphia Eagle football player John Runyan in a another very close race. It's even sadder to know that he lost his life a few short months later.