Bye-Bye Saxton! Say Hello to a Blue Ocean County!

Written by: Robin Kinlin on Nov 9, 2007 3:01 PM EST

U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton will not seek another term in Congress, according to multiple sources.

An announcement is expected as early as this afternoon.

Saxton, 64, has served in Congress since 1984.

Saxton was expected to face Democrat John Adler, the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, in a district that narrowly favors Republicans. Adler was tapped by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who Saxton's seat as potentially vulnerable.

Republican State Committee Chairman Tom Wilson said that he had not yet heard directly from Saxton and did not have many details, but had gotten word that he would not seek another term.

“He is somebody who comes from that time and place in politics that were much more genteel, somebody who has friends on both sides of the isle, someone from whom partisanship meant less than getting something done,” said Wilson, who cited Saxton's record on military and coastal issues as his legacy. “His work on military issues is clearly going to be a big part of his legacy. But it’s probably more personal than anything. He’s an old fashioned politician,” said Wilson.

A leading contender to replace Saxton is Diane Allen, a Republican State Senator from Burlington County and a former Philadelphia TV network news anchor. She was re-elected to a fourth term this week with 56% of the vote. Allen sought the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in 2002 and finished second in the GOP primary.

“She has run for federal office before, she’s a good vote getter, and with Hillary Clinton at the top of the ticket there will be an added emphasis on getting a woman (to run),” said Wilson. “There are a lot of reasons for Diane to consider if it’s right for her at this time in her life.”

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Location: NJ