New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy announced Wednesday she was entering her state’s Democratic Senate primary, kicking off what could be a fierce intraparty contest against indicted incumbent Bob Menendez, who has yet to say whether he’s running for reelection, and progressive Rep. Andy Kim, with the potential for other challengers to emerge.
“Right now, Washington is filled with too many people more interested in getting rich or getting on camera than getting things done for you,” Murphy says in a campaign launch video, as footage of DC lawmakers, including Menendez, appear on screen.
Murphy, 58, has never run for office herself but is widely regarded as a skilled politico and accomplished advocate in her own right. She is expected to benefit from the connections she has built alongside her husband, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who is currently in his second and last consecutive term, which runs through 2026. If elected, she would become the Garden State’s first female US senator.
In her announcement video, Murphy highlighted her efforts as first lady to reduce maternal mortality in New Jersey and to include climate change education in school curriculum.
“I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished,” she says. “But I know there’s a lot more to do.”
Menendez issued a scathing statement in response to Murphy’s announcement, accusing Gov. Phil Murphy of trying to use his perch to clear the way for his wife’s candidacy and demanded she answer for husband’s record.
“When Phil Murphy rushed to judgement and called on me to resign, it was clear he had a personal, vested interest in doing so at the expense of core democratic principles — the presumption of innocence and due process,” Menendez said.
He called on Tammy Murphy, now that she’s running, “to finally address why so many veterans died in state-run nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.” (Murphy holds no official title in her husband’s administration.)
Phil Murphy is one of many Democrats in New Jersey and Capitol Hill, most notably US Sen. Cory Booker, who have called for Menendez to resign rather than seek reelection. Even without the longtime incumbent in the race, the primary is expected to be divisive, pitting the state’s powerful political machines against grassroots and liberal groups eager to break their grip on power. Most observers expect Murphy to have the backing of county leaders. Kim recently won the endorsement of the influential progressive group SOMA Action.
The early move by the progressive group to back Kim underscored the stakes of the race and, potentially, the challenges Murphy could face in seeking to move from Trenton to Washington.
“Our members want bold leadership that answers to the people, not the party bosses,” SOMA Action President Jessica James said in a statement announcing her group’s endorsement. “We think voters across the state feel the same.
Murphy’s candidacy – for the Democratic Senate nomination in a deep-blue state – is particularly remarkable given her past association with Republican politics. She voted for years in GOP primaries and donated to candidates from both parties, including during the time her husband spent as the Democratic Party’s national finance chair.
Asked during his first run for governor why she shifted, Murphy said it had been a slow process.
“Over time, in talking to people, they would say, ‘What concerns you?’ Or ‘What are you passionate about?’ And I would say: ‘Well, I’m pro-choice, I’m anti-guns, I’m pro-environment,’” Murphy told NJ.com in 2017. “It was pointed out to me along the way, ‘You know, if you want to find a label, you are in fact a Democrat.’ And I said, ‘Oh, OK.’”
Early support for Kim and other high-profile names rumored to be considering bids could pose a greater threat to Murphy’s hopes than Menendez, if he decides to seek a fourth full term. Despite his deep roots and connections across the state and a history of beating back corruption charges, the incumbent now stands accused of bribery, extortion and acting as an agent to advance the interests of the Egyptian government.
