CNN Drops Lance vs. Potosnak From Top 100 Races to Watch

CNN has dropped the seventh congressional district race as one of the top 100 to watch nationwide. Involved in this race are Republican incumbent Leonard Lance and Democratic challenger Ed Potosnak.

The Tuesday announcement by CNN not only strikes the seventh district off the list but also three other Republican-held seats. It replaced them with four seats held by Democrats. In a release, CNN's political director said Potosnak and the other Democrats on the list have not made significant headway in their races.

"Although they all represent districts President Obama carried in 2008, their opponents have yet to make significant in-roads," wrote Robert Yoon, the cable network's political research director. 

Along with Lance, Republican incumbents Brian Bilbray of California, Peter Roskam of Illinois and Erik Paulson of Minnesota were removed from the list. Democratic congressional incumbents Betty Sutton of Ohio, John Yarmuth of Kentucky, Jim Himes of Connecticut and Nick Rahill of West Virginia were added to the list.

Potosnak's campaign played up the previous designation by CNN as part of their fundraising and media plan, along with results in an internal poll the campaign released.

Potosnak used the designation – and the endorsement of the four county Democratic parties in the district - to negate comments to Patch by some Democratic leaders that his campaign will not be successful. 

Potosnak's spokeswoman played up the internal poll and reiterated the Democrat's previous statements that district residents are looking for a newcomer in this year's election.

"The seventh district is the most competitive swing district in New Jersey," spokeswoman Alicia D'Alessandro said. "Polls show that Ed Potosnak and Congressman Lance are in a statistical dead heat and that voters will choose a representative with real-world experience and will reject a career politician on election day. "

CNN has kept the third congressional district in South Jersey on their list. The South Jersey race features a contest between one-term Democratic incumbent John Adler and Republican challenger Jon Runyon.

Adler, the first Democrat to represent his district in over a century, has been considered the most vulnerable Garden State member of Congress in the 2010 cycle.

A Lance spokesman declined to comment, saying the Yoon quote summarized the issue.