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RANDOLPH – If your name was still Tammy Snyder, would you be getting tons of political and financial support for your U.S. Senate campaign?
That was the first – and very blunt – question asked of First Lady Tammy Murphy during an appearance Thursday night before Morris County Democrats.
Murphy, whose maiden name is Snyder, could not have been surprised at the query. Nepotism already is a major concern among rank-and-file Democratic voters with the June primary on the horizon.
Her main competitor at the moment for the seat held by the indicted Bob Menendez appears to be CD-3 Rep. Andy Kim.
The First Lady stressed that she’s been fully involved in New Jersey political life for the last six years.
She added that she’s been to Morris County nearly three dozen times and that she knocked on doors with local state Senate candidate Christine Clarke, who was in the audience.
That won’t change,
“I fully intend to be on the ground and earn every single vote,” she said.
Murphy said she was thrilled with the support she has been getting from many party leaders, asserting that it is “not because my husband asked, but because I asked.” And she said she’s getting it, because of her work over the last six years.
A bit later in the question-and-answer session at County College of Morris, Murphy suggested that questions about her fitness and qualifications for the Senate are gender related.
“I’m not sure a male would be asked this question,” she said.
Murphy said her professional background includes working in the finance industry, living and working overseas and as First Lady, leading trade and economic missions on behalf of New Jersey. She also said she has experience as a mother and would bring a woman’s perspective to the Senate. She would be the first woman senator from New Jersey if elected.
There, of course, is nothing new about family ties in politics.
As Murphy mentioned, here in New Jersey we have Menendez and Menendez (senator and House member) and also, Tom Kean and Tom Kean (former governor and House member).
Nonetheless, the fact that the wife of the governor is seeking a U.S. Senate seat is not going away,
“I’m a big girl. I knew what I was getting myself into,” she said.
How about real issues?
In truth, they’re probably of secondary concern here.
Murphy talked about her support for abortion rights nationwide, banning so-called assault weapons, strong measures to combat climate change and immigration reform that would couple border security with a path to citizenship for “Dreamers.”
Few Democrats are going to quibble with that.
On foreign policy, Murphy backed supporting Ukraine and a “two-state” solution in the Middle East.
“How about a ceasefire?” a young woman yelled from the audience. This was out of order, but moderator Amalia Duarte, the county’s Democratic chair, allowed the question.
Murphy said she opposes an immediate ceasefire, given the fact Hamas still holds hostages.
This prompted the questioner to storm out of the room in an apparent huff.
There were also questions from representatives of Fair Ballot Alliance-NJ, which opposes a “county line” in the state.
Murphy said she will follow the law in regard to county lines.
As was noted, the current tradition in which party-endorsed candidates get favorable ballot positions is not a law. It’s a policy of individual county political organizations. Because of her many endorsements, Murphy stands to get a lot of “county lines.”
And speaking of politics, Murphy grew up as a Republican. Why is she now a Democrat?
She said her father was a small businessman and that she grew up in a conservative household. Still, she had liberal views on such issues as women’s reproductive rights.
There was a time when many Republicans were pro-choice. No longer.
Saying she eventually realized that she was a Democrat, Murphy either by design, or coincidence, used a line that Ronald Reagan used years ago – from the other side.
“The Republican Party left me,” the First Lady said.
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