The latest development in the continuing saga of the race to replace Bob Menendez is the revelation that the Democratic frontrunner, First Lady Tammy Murphy, was until relatively recently a card carrying Republican. Until about a decade ago Murphy wasn’t just a Republican voter, but an enthusiastic contributor to candidates like former president and current dog artist George W. Bush, twice. Yikes.
Tom Moran wrote a nice column on this whole situation but through her campaign, Murphy declined to answer questions about her political past on account she would really like to be a Senator. Sound reasoning, but something tells me that her opponent, at this point Rep. Andy Kim, isn’t going to take “no comment” for an answer.
To earn the nomination, and the inside track to a Senate seat, Murphy has to first win a primary. Primary voters tend to be fairly plugged into party politics and finding out that Murphy was a member of the opposition party until the age of 49 might not sit well.
Add to that the natural aversion to the governor’s wife, who has never held elected office, sliding into a Senate seat with the full faith and confidence of the state Democratic political machine and Murphy’s path may be rockier than first expected.
The state Dems don’t seem too terribly concerned at this point and they have good reason. In the past Democratic voters have been content to vote for whoever the party bosses decided to serve them. That’s the most likely outcome in 2024 but you never know, the high-profile nature of the First Lady as a candidate might change the equation.
Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.
Ad Choices