After about four months on the trail, New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy has suspended her campaign for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.
In a video published Sunday on social media platforms, Murphy said she wanted to make sure voters heard from her directly.
“After many busy, invigorating and, yes, challenging months, I’m suspending my Senate campaign today,” Murphy said. “I’ve been genuine and factual throughout, but it is clear to me that continuing in this race will involve waging a very divisive and negative campaign, which I am not willing to do.”
She went on to say that with “so much at stake” she will not “waste resources tearing down a fellow Democrat.”
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Murphy was set to square off against Rep. Andy Kim in a June primary. Both announced their campaigns in the aftermath of Sen. Bob Menendez’s federal indictment.
In the video, Murphy said New Jersey’s next senator “must focus on the issues of our time” and that the “best thing we can do for New Jersey is to unite and focus on the real issues at hand.”
She also said she will continue to work to get President Joe Biden reelected and to secure Democratic victories “up and down the ballot.”
Murphy did not mention Kim at all in the more than three-minute video, which was posted Sunday afternoon.
In a statement, Kim called Murphy a “voice for progress and public service in our state” and said he respects her decision.
“Tammy and I both agree that it is critical that we keep this seat, and the Senate, in Democratic control,” he said. “Unity is vital. We will continue our efforts to strengthen our democracy in New Jersey while we come together to stand up against the dangerous agenda pushed by Trump.”
What about Kim’s fight to destroy the line?
Much of the attention during the campaign so far has been on the ballot design used by much of the state. The constitutionality of the prime positioning, known as the county line, has been called into question in a lawsuit filed by Kim last month.
It alleges that New Jersey’s ballot design creates an unfair advantage for the candidate awarded the “line,” or the first position on the ballot. The clerks from all 19 counties that use the county line ballot design are named as defendants.
Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a letter to the judge that he sees the current New Jersey ballot design as “unconstitutional” and doesn’t intend to defend it in court. Kim, alongside Patricia Campos-Medina and Lawrence Hamm, has already called for the line system to be dismantled and the block system, which is used by every other state in the nation and two New Jersey counties, to be implemented statewide.
In a press briefing Sunday night, Kim reiterated that he’s still pursuing his legal case against the line but did say that he spoke to county party chairs about filling spots on the line that had previously been awarded to Murphy and said that he would.
The congressman also said that he had spoken to Murphy on Sunday about her decision to suspend the campaign but not about a potential endorsement.
Where did the race stand?
Kim and Murphy had been battling to secure that ballot spot at county conventions throughout the state. Murphy had won or was awarded the line in Passaic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Union, Camden and Gloucester counties, and Kim won it in Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Burlington, Hunterdon, Warren, Mercer and Morris counties.
In addition to getting support from county parties, Murphy was endorsed by six of Kim’s colleagues from the state’s congressional delegation. Reps. Josh Gottheimer, Donald Norcross, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell Jr., Donald Payne Jr. and Mikie Sherrill all announced their support within days of Murphy’s entrance into the race.
Murphy campaigned primarily on issues that she has been involved with during the administration of her husband, Gov. Phil Murphy, including maternal health, climate change and gun control.
This is a developing story. Check for updates.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
First appeared on www.northjersey.com