New Jersey First Lady Is No Longer Running for Senate

(RepublicanView.org) – The First Lady of New Jersey, Tammy Murphy, has suspended her Senate campaign, saying in a video that she is unwilling to tear down a fellow Democrat. Murphy, wife of Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, said she had no desire to engage in an increasingly hostile and divisive campaign. Announcing her departure from the race, Murphy slammed former President Donald Trump and labeled him a “dangerous threat.” She urged fellow Democrats to unify the US and ensure the party focuses on re-electing President Joe Biden.

Ms. Murphy previously threw her hat into the ring for the primary competition to replace embattled Senator Bob Menendez, who recently announced he would not enter the Democratic primary contest and likely stand instead as an independent. Menendez, facing several bribery and corruption charges, had resisted calls for his resignation from fellow Democrats but finally conceded in March that his future was no longer in the party.

When she announced her intention to compete, Tammy Murphy received the endorsement of several New Jersey lawmakers and was tipped for victory, but some commentators said her lack of political experience could make her a target for criticism. Her most high-profile opponent, Andy Kim, claimed that her support stemmed solely from her relationship with the Governor, and he filed a lawsuit challenging the Garden State’s primary election system, which favors the candidate with the most endorsements.

Despite entering the primary race after Murphy, Kim flipped the support of Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and advanced to a 12-point lead. New Jersey is a firmly blue state that has not elected a member of the GOP since the 1960s.

Kim was born in Boston to immigrant parents and raised in New Jersey. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 2004, having won Rhodes and Harry S. Truman scholarships. While studying at Oxford University, Kim became friends with Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and a job at the State Department sparked his political career.