Tammy Snyder Murphy, First Lady of New Jersey, speaks at the War Memorial Building in Trenton, New Jersey, USA on January 18, 2022 as Governor Philip D. Murphy was sworn in for his second term as the 56th Governor of the State of New Jersey.
Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Tammy Murphy, the wife of Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, announced Sunday that she would withdraw from the state’s Democratic Senate primary. The winner of this June 4 election will be the favorite to replace impeached Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez.
“After many busy, invigorating and, yes, challenging months, today I am pausing my Senate campaign,” Murphy said in a Sunday post on Campaign I’m Not Ready to.
Murphy’s departure widens the path for Democratic Rep. Andy Kim to secure his status as the front-runner ahead of the primary.
Menendez confirmed last week that he would not run for a fourth term as a Democrat. He also announced a possible candidacy for his career as an independent.
The senator and his wife have been charged with more than a dozen federal crimes, including bribery charges. Prosecutors allege Menendez provided confidential information to the Egyptian government and allegedly traded his political influence for hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts, including gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz convertible.
“With Donald Trump on the ballot and so much at stake for our nation, I will not in good conscience waste resources trying to unseat a fellow Democrat,” Murphy, a former Republican voter, added in her exit announcement.
In June, Kim, who launched his campaign the day after Menendez was indicted, will face several long-term challengers, including progressive activists Larry Hamm and Patricia Campos-Medina.
Kim has been the Democratic favorite, consistently leading Murphy in the polls, especially as she lost several county caucuses, including her home district of Monmouth County.
Last Monday, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop revoked his endorsement of Murphy and transferred it to Kim.
“It’s not always pleasant to admit a mistake, but I clearly made one here, and this convention season showed it.” [Kim] is the better candidate to represent New Jersey,” Fulop wrote in a post on X.
The Murphy campaign declined further comment.
Source link
2024-03-24 21:00:38
www.cnbc.com