- Tammy Murphy announced Wednesday that she’ll run for U.S. Senate in 2024
- She’s the wife of New Jersey’s Democratic governor Phil Murphy
- The move sets up a potential challenge against the state’s Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who’s been indicted on a slew of bribery and corruption charges
The wife of New Jersey‘s Democratic governor announced Wednesday that she will run for U.S. Senate next year, setting up a challenge against the state’s Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who has been indicted on a slew of bribery and corruption charges.
Tammy Murphy, the spouse of Gov. Phil Murphy, rolled out her campaign with a video on X highlighting her work on maternal and infant mortality and climate change while serving as New Jersey’s first lady.
But she also took a subtle slap at Menendez, who’s been accused of accepting bribes from three New Jersey businessman in the form of cash, gold bars and a luxury car, and also being an unregistered foreign agent on behalf of Egypt.
‘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 said in the video, as an image of Menendez flashed on-screen.
Menendez has yet to say if he’ll run for reelection in 2024 but on the heels of his indictment said he was ‘not going anywhere.’
Tammy Murphy, the wife of New Jersey’s Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, announced Wednesday she would seek the U.S. Senate seat currently belonging to the indicted Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez
The New Jersey first lady announced her bid on X Wednesday with a video message highlighting her work on maternal and infant mortality and climate change
Democratic Rep. Andy Kim previously said he planned to seek the Senate seat, doing so a day after the fresh criminal charges against Menendez were announced.
On the Republican side, the mayor of Mendham, New Jersey, Christine Serrano Glassner, plans to run in the race.
New Jersey has never elected a female U.S. senator.
Murphy, 58, is a prominent fixture in the state alongside husband Phil, who was first elected in 2017 and won a close race for reelection against Republican Jack Ciattarelli in 2021.
Phil Murphy was the first New Jersey governor to win a second term since 1977.
He’s term limited so will be in the last two years of the governorship during his wife’s run for office.
In her opening message for office she talked about her career as a successful businesswoman – meeting Phil while they both worked for Goldman Sachs – and becoming a mother.
Murphy’s video message also took a dig at her potential rival, Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez (left), photographed with wife Nadine (right), who’s been indicted on a number of corruption and bribery charges
The couple have four kids.
‘And when I was pregnant, and even after they were born, I worried about a million things like all moms do, but I never worried if I’d survive childbirth or if my babies would get the care they needed. I didn’t have to,’ Murphy said. ‘The money in our family’s bank account and, frankly, the color of my skin meant I could get the best care available.’
‘But that’s not the case for a lot of women. So when I got here, I realized I had a platform to help moms who aren’t nearly as fortunate as I am,’ she said, noting how women and babies were dying in New Jersey at a higher rate compared to most states in the country ‘almost exclusively in our black and brown communities.’
Murphy also highlighted her work as first lady combating and educating young people about climate change.
A native of Virginia, Murphy is also a former Republican, and changed her voter registration to Democrat before her husband’s first gubernatorial run.
While her video smacked Menendez, it called out GOP senators too – flashing images of Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Marsha Blackburn as she warned voters of ‘extreme politicians who want to defund Planned Parenthood and ban abortion in all 50 states, including New Jersey.’
