26-year-old supporter of Ron Paul runs for congress

In the 11th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Rodney Freylinghuysen beat back a Libertarian-inspired challenge to earn a shot at an eighth term.

Freylinghuysen, 62, of Harding, disposed of a challenge by Kate Erber, a 26-year-old student and supporter of Ron Paul, the Republican and former Libertarian Party presidential candidate.

Freylinghuysen, the senior member of New Jersey’s congressional delegation, will face Democrat Tom Wyka in November. Wyka, a 41-year-old software developer from Parsippany-Troy Hills, faced Freylinghuysen in 2006 and lost by a 2-1 ratio in the heavily Republican district.

Wyka defeated Democratic challengers Ellen Greenberg, 59, a real estate lawyer from Mendham, and Gary "Harry" Hager, a 68-year-old retired banker from Chester.

The Iraq war and the economy are the two issues that both parties are talking about. Freylinghuysen supports the war and Wyka opposes it, calling for a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Freylinghuysen says that would be a mistake.

"It would be a drastic mistake if we pulled our troops out," Freylinghuysen said. "I’m not saying we’re going to stay in Afghanistan and Iraq forever, but if we pull out now, we’d make ourselves extremely vulnerable to terrorism."

Wyka has called for a troop pullout, and has stressed "accountability" for the conduct of the war among U.S. military and government officials.

The 11th includes all of Morris County, which is heavily Republican, plus part of Bloomingdale in Passaic County. It also includes parts of Essex, Somerset and Sussex counties. No Democrat has won in the district since the boundaries were redrawn in 1984.