New Jersey First Lady Tammy Snyder Murphy during the swearing-in of Governor Philip D. Murphy as the 56th Governor of New Jersey at the War Memorial Building in Trenton, New Jersey, United States, January 18, 2022 , Tammy Snyder Murphy spoke.
Taifon Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Tammy Murphy, the wife of New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, announced Sunday that she will withdraw from the state’s Democratic Senate primary. The winner of the June 4 election will be the favorite to replace indicted Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez.
“Today, after many busy, dynamic and, yes, challenging months, I am suspending my Senate campaign,” Murphy said on Sunday. postal “It’s clear to me that continuing to run in this election would involve running a very divisive and negative campaign, and I’m not willing to do that.”
Murphy’s exit opens the way for Democratic Rep. Andy Kim to lock in the front-runner status ahead of the primary.
Menendez confirmed last week that he would not run for a fourth term as a Democrat.He also teased him as a potential contestant independent.
The senator and his wife have been charged with more than a dozen federal criminal counts, including bribery charges. Prosecutors allege that Menendez provided sensitive information to the Egyptian government and allegedly traded his political influence in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts, including gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz convertible.
Murphy, a former Republican elector, added in his exit statement: “With Donald Trump on the ballot and our country facing so much at stake, I will not in good conscience waste resources to oust a fellow Democrat.”
June, gold roll out The indictment comes a day after Menendez’s campaign faces off against several hopeful challengers, including progressive activists Larry Hamm and Patricia Campos-Medina.
So far, King has been the Democratic favorite with a steady lead in polls over Murphy, especially as she lost support from several county conventions, including her home state monmouth county.
Last Monday, Jersey Mayor Steven Fulop withdrew his support for Murphy in favor of King.
“It’s not always comfortable to admit a mistake, but clearly I made one here and this conference season has proven (King) is the better candidate to represent New Jersey,” Fulop wrote in a statement. ” postal on X.
The Murphy campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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