Running in arguably the state’s most intense battleground district, a legitimate coin toss, according to the latest polling, Assemblyman Ryan Peters (R-8) threw a hard elbow this evening at Mike Muller, who runs the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee (DACC).

In addition to the General Majority PAC continuing to rein mail on the incumbent Republican assemblyman, Democrats are hitting Peters hard with a cable TV buy this week, highlighting his record as freeholder, where they say he raised debt by a quarter of a billion dollars.

Fellow BurlCo residents, Muller’s wife is Peters’ colleague, Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D-7).

“When I first met Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, she thought it was cool that I was a SEAL because her husband plays Navy SEAL video games,” military combat veteran Peters told InsiderNJ. “So that means that Mike Muller makes attack ads about me and then goes home and pretends to be me.

“Politics is crazy,” the Republican added.

InsiderNJ called Democrats for a response in this intensely vitriolic contest.

“Ryan Peters is a liar,” the DACC commander said. “I don’t own any Navy SEAL games. I do play a lot of Madden football and NHL Playstation. It’s sad, pathetic and dishonest that he’s trying to create a false hero worshiping narrative. It truly is sad to drag my wife into the conversation as his proof point. It’s disgusting and deplorable on every level. He lacks the moral fiber to serve. He’s welome to come by our town house and investigate my video games.”

Murphy also hit back in a statement of her own.

“When I spoke to Ryan Peters I conveyed my admiration of former Senate candidate and Navy SEAL Lou Gallagher in an attempt at collegiality,” said the assemblywoman. “Now Ryan is lying about my statement to him because he is in the last throes of a desperate bid to save his career. It’s disgusting that he would bring my family into his race. I’ll give him Michael’s phone number so he can call to concede on Election Night.”

Peters responded to the Murphys.

“I would have thought the mouthpiece of the Camden Cartel would have given a better response,” the Assemblyman said. “First, he calls me a liar then proceeds to say he goes home and plays video games.  Then Assemblywoman Murphy correctly recalls the conversation where she told me he pretends to play Navy SEAL.  Clearly they are not accustomed to someone who’s going to fight rather just sit back and take it.”