New Jersey

Five things to watch for in this Sunday’s debate between Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy – New Jersey Globe

Published

2 years ago

February 16, 2024

Five things to watch for in this Sunday’s debate between Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy – New Jersey Globe

This Sunday at 8 p.m., Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) and First Lady Tammy Murphy will meet for the very first debate of the 2024 Democratic U.S. Senate primary in New Jersey.

The pressure on Kim and Murphy, the only two candidates for indicted Senator Bob Menendez’s seat who met the debate requirements, is high. With county convention season revving up and many voters starting to tune into the race, it will be the first chance for both candidates to make the case to New Jerseyans as to why they should be elected to the Senate – and perhaps why their opponent shouldn’t be.

Here are five things to watch for at the debate, which will be hosted by the New Jersey Globe, On New Jersey, and Rider University; it will be streamed live on the New Jersey Globe, On New Jersey, Facebook Live, Twitter, and YouTube.

Can the Kim-mentum be stopped?

That may sound like a loaded question, but given how the last few weeks of the Senate campaign have gone, it really isn’t.

Since the start of the new year, Kim posted a double-digit lead in the first independent poll of the contest and convincingly won the race’s first Democratic county convention in Monmouth County. Murphy has a number of structural advantages that Kim doesn’t, including guaranteed party support in many of the state’s largest counties, but all the recent momentum has seemed to be in Kim’s favor.

The upcoming debate represents a chance for Murphy to flip the script. If she can articulate a clear message about why she should be a senator and Andy Kim should not – something she hasn’t really been able to do thus far – that could turn the narrative of the race around and help put her back in the driver’s seat.

On the other hand, if Murphy stumbles or if Kim far outshines her, then the current narrative might get even more entrenched. And the longer it takes Murphy to put a damper on Kim’s momentum, the harder it will be to eventually overtake him.

It’s worth noting that there’s a significant experience gap between the candidates when it comes to debating. While Murphy has long been a major player in New Jersey politics, this will be her first-ever political debate; Kim, meanwhile, is an experienced debater thanks to his three campaigns for a competitive congressional district.

How scorched-earth does Kim go?

Andy Kim’s a pretty nice guy; that’s common knowledge in New Jersey politics by now. But his campaign has nevertheless been perfectly willing to go on the attack against Murphy and the broader New Jersey Democratic establishment when it wants to.

Murphy, Kim argues, is being propped up by a “broken” political system that takes power away from the voters and leads to (alleged) corruption like Bob Menendez’s. And when Murphy’s campaign has made missteps – like when it tried to pressure the College Democrats into remaining neutral in the race, or when it announced an endorsement list featuring people who said they hadn’t endorsed anyone – Kim has pounced.

Now that Kim and Murphy are going to face each other directly on Sunday, we’ll see how much of that same heat Kim is willing to bring. Does he take Murphy directly to task for being so heavily aided by her connections to Gov. Phil Murphy and other “party elites”? Can he do so without harming his own nice-guy image?

It’s a tough needle to thread, because while Kim’s message about rigged politics might be resonating with the New Jersey electorate, he still wants to appeal to the local Democratic faithful who have a big say in deciding party endorsements in many counties. Those low-level party leaders may find Kim’s candidacy appealing, but many of them also quite like Phil and Tammy Murphy and their local Democratic organizations, so an overly negative messaging strategy could be risky.

As last Saturday’s convention vote in Monmouth County showed, Kim can indeed thread that needle successfully, but the upcoming debate will be his biggest stage yet – one potentially viewed by both a local and national audience.

Can Murphy land a hit on Kim?

In contrast to Kim’s consistent messaging against Murphy’s establishment support and the New Jersey political system, Murphy has not yet found a clear avenue of attack on Kim, who has been broadly well-liked and uncontroversial among Democrats during his three terms in Congress.

At various points during the campaign, Murphy and her allies have hit Kim on immigration, via a few unfavorable House votes Kim cast in 2019 and 2020; on abortion, arguing that a male politician can’t be trusted on the issue to the same extent that a female politician can; and on some mild resume inflation Kim did during his initial 2018 House race. All of those messages could be effective in certain circumstances, but none have seemed to really stick.

Sunday’s debate will be Murphy’s most high-profile opportunity yet to go on the offense against Kim and tarnish his currently very high favorability ratings among New Jersey Democrats. But will she find an anti-Kim message that actually lands? How harsh will she be?

And as with any attack line, there’s also the danger of going too far. When former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) endorsed Kim last month, Murphy’s campaign responded by dredging up Malinowski’s stock-trading issues from his time in Congress – a move that mainly served to tick off Democrats in Malinowski’s old congressional district without conferring any obvious benefits for Murphy.

Do any clear policy differences emerge between the candidates?

So far, the race between Kim and Murphy has been a thoroughly non-ideological one. Both are relatively mainstream Democrats with liberal stances on most major issues: abortion rights must be safeguarded, climate change must be combated, democracy must be protected, and Donald Trump must be defeated.

When given the opportunity, neither has spelled out particularly clear policy differences they have with their opponent; the campaign has instead focused largely on process issues related to Menendez, county party endorsements, and so on. (In fact, three months after Murphy launched her campaign, her website still does not have an issues section.)

Sunday’s debate will give both candidates a chance to change that, and tell voters how – if at all – they might vote differently than one another if elected. There are a few issues in particular that seem primed to become potential flashpoints between the two.

One is the war between Israel and Hamas. Neither Kim nor Murphy have called for a ceasefire in Gaza – unlike Larry Hamm and Patricia Campos-Medina, two other Democratic candidates running on more unabashedly progressive platforms – but on such a nuanced issue, important differences of opinion may still emerge.

Another is health care. Murphy said at the Monmouth convention that she supports Medicare for All, while Kim has not signed on to the Medicare for All Act during his time in the House, a potentially important distinction for more progressive voters.

How large does Menendez loom?

Menendez will not be a participant in Sunday’s debate; he could have been if he had formally declared his candidacy for re-election before February 11, but he chose not to do so.

Even in absentia, though, the three-term senator is likely to loom large. Kim launched his campaign explicitly in response to Menendez’s alleged crimes, and polling shows that New Jersey voters are heavily invested in the charges against him.

It will be interesting to see how Kim and Murphy handle the issue of Menendez, who until recently was one of the most powerful Democrats in the state (and, on certain issues, in the entire country.) Do they use the platform of the debate stage to attack Menendez, who has dismal approval ratings?

Or do they simply acknowledge that Menendez has very little chance of winning regardless, and instead move on to engaging with their real opponent: one another?

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New Jersey

2028 New Jersey ATH has ‘great experience’ on visit to Syracuse

Published

5 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Press Room

2028 New Jersey ATH has ‘great experience’ on visit to Syracuse

In November, 2028 ATH Jaisier Gray received his first Power 4 offer from Syracuse.

The offer added to a list that includes Temple and Delaware State, and the Orange have been in consistent touch since then. Gray got a closer look at Syracuse on April 9 for spring practice, and it was a chance for him to get to know the program better.

“The visit was an all around great experience,” Gray said to The Juice Online. “Not because we were in the college practice facility. But being able to interact with players and coaches and experience meetings first hand.

“Then to be able to see the competition and the love shared between the players pushing each other to be better and strive for greatness, was the best way for recruiting. This allowed for me to get a real feel to how the next level operates and being able to mentally prepare myself for when the time comes.”

Gray gets to know the SU staff better

Among the coaches he got to meet with was defensive line coach John Scott Jr.

“We spoke about how he got to evaluate my film,” Gray said. “We also talked about me coming back up to Syracuse to their big man camp so he could get the chance to teach me in person. Not only that but we also spoke about so factors that helped me gain weight since the last time I visited and what am I doing in the offseason to develop my skills as a player.”

Gray also appreciated seeing the culture of the Orange.

“I found the program really strong minded and influential,” Gray said. “The determination to make their players the best, not only athletes but people they can be. This action invites a very mentoring aura to it. They are very family oriented with a lot of coaches and players sharing great bonds, with common knowledge and experience.”

Gray respects D.A.R.T.

Among the culture at Syracuse includes head coach Fran Brown’s mantra of D.A.R.T. (detailed, accountable, relentless, tough).

“I respect it due to me being an athlete who takes my sport very serious, D.A.R.T. is the type of mindset that coaches love and players who want to be great but into,” Gray said. “Being Determined, staying Accountable, playing Relentless, and showing how you’re Tough is the way to play. This ideal eliminates the “losing mentality” and keeps you locked in and working always.”

As a result, Gray thinks highly of his SU offer.

“I felt extremely honored but worthy at the same time,” Gray said. “I knew that this accomplishment was a blessing but it was earned through hard work and dedication. Not just in the field and making plays as a young star but also studying and making sure my grade are up to par.”

His Indians team went 6-3 in the 2025 season, and he’s looking to show this fall that he’s continued his improvement.

Gray is a two-way, two-sport athlete

“My 2025 football season was a big step for me,” Gray said. “I showed a lot of growth, both physically and mentally, and I feel like my game slowed down in a good way, I was reading plays better and playing more confident. I had some strong moments, but I also saw where I need to improve, especially in consistency and finishing plays. Overall, I’d say it was a solid season, but not my peak yet. It motivated me to lock in even more, because I know I can take it to another level.”

The Newark (NJ) Weequahic athlete is a two-way player who plays both offensive and defensive line, but he is being recruited on the defensive side of the ball. He is also a two-sport athlete, excelling on the basketball court with his 6’7” 250-pound frame.

“I’m the type of player who plays fast, strong and disciplined,” Gray said. “I take pride in every play throughout the game, no matter where I’m positioned on the line. I’m a very physical and high motored kid who can play both inside and outside setting the edge.

“I try to outwork anybody and be the best at all times, but also staying humble and knowing there’s something ti learn and someone’s who’s better than me. Being naturally gifted with length I use these strengths to my advantage and focus on my technique. Overall I’m a versatile lineman who can do the dirty work, be a leader( by example or verbally), be accountable, and still impact the game positively when my number is called.”

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New Jersey

Rising health insurance costs strain local government budgets in New Jersey

Published

17 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Press Room

Rising health insurance costs strain local government budgets in New Jersey

As the University moves to cut employee benefits amid rising healthcare costs, officials in the Municipality of Princeton and across Mercer County are confronting similar budget pressures. Mercer County has already taken steps to reign in spending on the state health plan.

The State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) for local governments, which is used by around 55 percent of New Jersey’s eligible employers, saw a 36.5 percent increase in cost last year, with further double-digit increases expected this year, pushing some entities to take their employees off the state health plan.

Mercer County, which contains Princeton, began pulling its employees out of the SHBP last year. In his budget address on March 26, Mercer County Executive Dan Benson said that the county worked with its unions to find a different, cheaper option with the same benefits. He added that the county will work with “other county agencies,” including the Mercer County Improvement Authority, to move more employees off the SHBP.

“Thanks to that partnership, we were able to reduce the expected increase in health care costs for active employees from approximately 31 percent over prior year cost to approximately 17.5 percent annualized,” Benson stated in the address. However, he noted that healthcare costs are rising significantly across the board, resulting in a $12.3 million cost increase overall.

In a statement to The Daily Princetonian, Theodore Siggelakis, director of communications and intergovernmental affairs of Mercer County, wrote that year-over-year SHBP cost increases have made the program unsustainable for both the county and the employees. “By transitioning to a new plan, we were able to reduce projected [healthcare cost] increases by 13 percent,” Siggelakis wrote.

The Municipality of Princeton is still on the SHBP, despite learning last year about the expected increase in the state plan premium. According to councilmember Brian McDonald ’83, an alternative private plan the municipality considered would have increased premiums by more than 20 percent, still significantly less than the recent 36 percentage point cost increase in the SHBP. However, discussions with the municipality’s police, fire department, and public works unions did not conclude in time to switch plans last year, according to McDonald.

“We are currently beginning the process of looking for an alternate health insurance plan for 2027, and if we can find one, we will begin conversations with the unions much earlier this year,” McDonald wrote to the ‘Prince.’

“In the case of health insurance, 36 percent this year. That alone, as you will see, is about $1.9 million higher than it was last year,” McDonald said at the March 23 Princeton Council meeting. “If we just pass that expense on to taxpayers, it would require a one-year increase of 6 percent. So we’ve had to work extremely hard and again make very challenging choices.”

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At the March 23 meeting, the municipality’s Chief Financial Officer Sandra Webb shared that the current proposed budget would increase the municipal tax rate by 2.87 percent.

Although the municipality of Princeton remained on the SHBP this year, McDonald wrote that the “recent level of health insurance increases is totally unsustainable” in the long term. He added that if increases cannot be curbed, “there really are only two options: pass the increases at all levels of government on to taxpayers, who already pay some of the highest property taxes in the country, or reduce services and, potentially, staff levels.”

Princeton Public Library is also still on the state plan. The library is also facing challenges with its budget — in January, it shortened its hours by one hour each day due to increased operational costs. Currently, the library is seeking greater funding from Princeton municipality in the municipal budget and is in negotiations with the Princeton Council.

“As a public institution, Princeton Public Library has limited options for trimming our health insurance costs,” Jennifer Podolsky, executive director of the library, wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “We did eliminate the most expensive employee plans as a cost-saving measure last fall, and … trust me, we have explored every other coverage option available to us. The SHBP is still the most cost-effective.”

Princeton Public Schools (PPS) is not enrolled in the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program (SEHBP) — the SHBP plan for public schools — because of a cheaper cost offered by their private insurance plans. In a statement to the ‘Prince,’ PPS Superintendent Michael LaSusa wrote that the rising costs of health benefits are “largely passed on to the taxpayers through the local tax levy increase,” which is the focus of their current budget discussions.

At the district’s March 17 Board of Education meeting, LaSusa explained that the total premium increase for the SEHBP was 31.9 percent, including a prescription cost increase of 58.6 percent. Since PPS is privately insured, their projected total premium increase, including prescription costs, was 15.2 percent.

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According to a March press release from the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, some entities with “lower-cost employees” who use fewer health services are switching to cheaper plans, leaving “higher-cost” employees to make use of the plan but with less premium revenues to cover the cost.

This exodus of lower-cost entities from SHBP has further increased burdens for employers still on the program. In a May 2025 report about the SHBP, the Treasury noted that, although the program was initially designed to offer “affordable, high-quality coverage to public employees,” the program is no longer financially viable partly due to declining enrollment.

This and various other factors, according to the report, “have created a self-reinforcing loop of premium increases and employer exits — what actuaries commonly refer to as a ‘death spiral.’”

It remains unclear how extensively University employees will be impacted by benefit cuts. In a memo about general benefits cuts in February, Executive Vice President Katie Callow-Wright and Provost Jennifer Rexford ’91 wrote that the University would be cutting employee benefits and limiting pay raises, citing “dramatically rising costs of medical and prescription benefits.”

They added that “forthcoming changes to the University’s benefits offerings” have been previewed, and that these changes were “made necessary by dramatically rising costs of medical and prescription benefits here and nationwide.”

Elizabeth Hu is a senior News writer, assistant head Copy editor, associate Data editor, staff Podcast producer, and contributing Features writer from Houston. She can be reached at exh[at]dailyprincetonian.com.

Oliver Wu contributed reporting.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.

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New Jersey

New Jersey boardwalk crowned best boardwalk in USA TODAY 10BEST list

Published

1 day ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

New Jersey boardwalk crowned best boardwalk in USA TODAY 10BEST list

Ready to take a stroll on the best boardwalks along the coast?

According to USA TODAY 10BEST Readers, the Garden State has three. Vistors planning to travel to Shore will bask in the golden days of summer at 3 of best boardwalks New Jersey has to offer where good food and fun meet.

 The USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards is an annual survey designed by panel of industry experts to nominate their favorite attractions across a wide range of categories in which 10Best editors nominate contenders to the public for a winning vote.

Three New Jersey beaches were voted on the list by readers. And here’s what editor’s said about Wildwood, Atlantic City and Point Pleasant Beach:

No. 1 Wildwood

Originally a 150-yard boardwalk at its inception in the 1890s, the boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey, now stretches for 38 blocks and is packed with shops, restaurants, bars, water parks, and an amusement pier featuring over 100 attractions.

This is the second year in row that Wildwood has topped the list.

No. 5 Atlantic City

The Atlantic City Boardwalk ranks among the most famous in the nation. Built in 1870, the boardwalk is lined with everything from high-end retailers to classic candy shops, casinos, and beach bars, all with ocean views.

No. 10 Point Pleasant Beach

Point Pleasant packs an incredible amount of fun into its mile-long boardwalk. Jenkinson’s Aquarium and Boardwalk Amusements are the crown jewels of this Jersey Shore venue, though there are classic arcade games, local eateries, an antique emporium, and plenty of gift shops too. The nightlife scene transforms the area into a colorful evening playground where visitors can enjoy live music, comedy shows, and fun bars and restaurants.