The surprise decision by former Philadelphia Eagles lineman and sophomore GOP Rep. Jon Runyan to retire makes him the second member of the class of 2010 to head for the early exits (Arkansas GOP Rep. Tim Griffin was the first). More significantly, it's the first GOP retirement from the set of 17 GOP-held districts President Obama carried in 2012.The South Jersey 3rd CD was held for many years by GOP Rep. Jim Saxton, a classic moderate, before it fell to late Democrat John Adler upon Saxton's retirement in 2008. Runyan narrowly beat Adler in 2010 and held the seat in 2012 by beating Adler's widow, Shelley Adler, 54 percent to 45 percent while Obama was carrying the district with 52 percent.Runyan's performance in 2012 proves that voters here are perhaps slightly more Republican in lower level races than they are at the presidential level, but this is still exactly the kind of district Democrats need to win to reach for a majority.Democrats had been struggling to recruit against Runyan and had finally convinced Burlington County Freeholder Aimee Belgard to run.
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