WASHINGTON -- The head of the committee tasked with electing House Republicans acknowledged that his party has failed to recruit a strong candidate to succeed retiring Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo in South Jersey.

"The LoBiondo seat is still a recruiting hole for us," said Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "That's one of the few recruiting holes we have across the country."

LoBiondo, R-2nd Dist., announced his retirement after 24 years in the House, and the Cook Political Report, a Washington-based publication that tracks congressional races, said the district now leans Democratic.

Stivers, speaking to Washington-based reporters from local news outlets, including NJ Advance Media, acknowledged that the Democratic candidate could be the front-runner.

"That one probably should be at least a tossup or lean their way," Stivers said. "I wish we had a better recruit in the LoBiondo seat but we don't."

Democrats have recruited state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, to run, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently named him as one of their candidates most likely to flip a GOP-held seat.

He raised $488,845 through March 31, with $456,028 to spend.

"As we've seen all across the country, Republicans cannot find candidates to run under their unpopular agenda," DCCC spokesman Evan Lukaske said. "Nowhere is that more true than in New Jersey. With his independent mindset and focus on finding common ground, Senator Van Drew will be an excellent representative for this community."

The DCCC's support of Van Drew, one of the most conservative Democrats in Trenton, hasn't sat well with progressive activists.

The Collective Political Action Committee, a PAC created to elect black candidates, is backing retired schoolteacher Tanzie Youngblood. She raised $65,309, lent her campaign $23,000, and had $14,102 in her campaign bank account as of March 31.

Another Democrat, former congressional aide Will Cunningham, brought in $51,951 and reported cash on hand of $45,986.

On the Republican side, only engineer Hirsh Singh, who lost a bid for GOP gubernatorial nomination last year, amassed any significant campaign funds and that was because he dug deep into his own pocket. He raised $55,665, while giving or loaning his campaign about the same amount, $56,685. He entered April with $82,554 to spend.

The other Republicans running are former state Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi, R-Cumberland; Robert Turkavage, a former FBI agent and two-time unsuccessful U.S. Senate candidate; and lawyer Seth Grossman.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.