NJ: LoBiondo, Runyan get serious challengers

[LeBron]

Sabato must really hate PPP polling because PPP shows LoBiondo has a higher 44% favorable to Runyan's 39% favorable and LoBiondo has a 2 point lead over a generic Democrat as opposed to Runyan who trails by 2 points by a generic Democrat. Yet, Sabato lists Frank LoBiondo's seat as "Likely R" and Jon Runyan's as "Safe R." I'm not necessarily inclined to disagree with the LoBiondo rating of the seat by Sabato, but if anything, NJ-3 is lean R and is more vulnerable than it is safe to NJ-2. It would be better if the Democrats forgot about LoBiondo and went after NJ incumbents who are in trouble like Reps. Frelinghuysen and Lance who have approvals in their 30's.

Plus, it's worth noting LoBiondo and Runyan both won their seats in the 2 main recent GOP waves of 1994 (LoBiondo) and 2010 (Runyan). If LoBiondo can survive by over 20 points in 2006 and 2008 in an Obama district, he should easily be safe and only a little competitive from a good Democrat. On the other hand, Runyan only beat John Alder by 1 point in a GOP year and since 2012 was about split/lean D, he may have survived then, but he wouldn't be able to in a Democratic wave.