John Adler

John Herbert Adler (August 23, 1959April 4, 2011) was an American lawyer, politician and a member of the Democratic Party who served for one term as the U.S. representative for from 2009 until 2011. He lost his 2010 congressional election to former Philadelphia Eagles football player Jon Runyan. Prior to joining Congress, Adler was a member of the New Jersey Senate from 1992 to 2009, where he represented the 6th Legislative District.

Only a few months after leaving the House, Adler unexpectedly died after suffering from endocarditis as a result of getting a staph infection. In 2012, his widow Shelley announced her candidacy for the seat, but she ended up losing to Runyan. Provided by Wikipedia