Federal spending motivates NFL player’s Congress run

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San Diego Chargers lineman Jon Runyan says concerns about federal spending are a big reason he wants to run for Congress in New Jersey.

The 36-year-old lineman, who spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, announced last month that he would retire from football after this season and run for a House seat as a Republican.

He’s trying to unseat first-term Democrat John Adler in the New Jersey’s 3rd District.

Runyan said a state assemblywoman called his wife to see if he would be interested in running for office. Runyan said he thought about politics a bit and, between that call and his growing concerns about federal spending, decided that the time was right to seek office.

-- Associated Press