Phil Murphy laughs off ‘lame duck’ label after wife’s Senate bid fizzles – Washington Examiner

Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) dismissed notions that he is a “lame duck” after a blow to his political capital in the state after his wife, Tammy Murphy, ended her Senate campaign.

Tammy Murphy announced on Sunday she would be dropping her Senate campaign after falling behind Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) in the polls, despite having the backing of much of the Democratic machine in the Garden State. Murphy mocked a headline from a Politico story that asked if he was a “lame duck” governor with less than two years left in his term, after his wife’s failed Senate bid, on Tuesday.

“When I see those headlines, I laugh,” the governor said, according to NJ.com. ”We’re sprinting through the tape. If you looked at my schedule right now, you would literally laugh at that statement with me. We’ve got a lot more road to cover, and I’m running around the state today, yesterday, tomorrow, you name it.”

While he mocked notions that his influence would be hurt after Tammy Murphy’s dropped Senate bid, he told reporters that he was “incredibly proud” of his wife for her campaign despite bowing out over the weekend.

Murphy said in her video announcing her departure from the primary that she wanted to avoid a “divisive” primary and keep the focus on Democrats winning in November.

“I have 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,” Murphy said in the video posted to X on Sunday.

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With Murphy out of the race, Kim is now expected to be the Democratic nominee in November in the race for Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) seat. Menendez, who was federally indicted last year, has said he will not seek the Democratic nomination but teased a potential independent run for his seat.

The race has been rated as “safe Democrat” by the Cook Political Report.

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