Former New Jersey congressman John Adler, who was the first Democrat to represent the 3rd Congressional District in more than a century, has died. He was 51. Adler died Monday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia Adler died at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia from complications stemming from staph bacterial endocarditis, an infection around the heart. Adler underwent emergency heart surgery at the hospital last month.
Adler’ s friends and former colleagues expressed their condolences over the shock death of the former senator. "Camille and I and our entire family are deeply saddened by the news of John's passing," U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews, D-1st of Haddon Heights, Adler's former congressional colleague. "Our prayers and thoughts are with his devoted family. His love for public service made a positive impact on our community that will far outlast his years with us, which were far too short."
Rep. Jon Runyan has also issued a statement expressing his sympathies to Adler's family and friends. Runyan is the former Philadelphia Eagles lineman who unseated Adler last fall. "May John rest in peace, and may those he left behind be comforted in the knowledge that his lifetime of public service to our community has left a legacy for which they can be most proud," Runyan said. Adler grew up in Haddonfield, Camden County, and he lost his father before he graduated from high school. The death affected his greatly and he often referenced it in his defense of Social Security and Medicare.
