New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy on Wednesday launched a bid for the Democratic nomination for US Senate in next year’s contest. Her candidacy, announced Wednesday, puts her in the running to become the first woman elected to the Senate from New Jersey, reports the AP. The Democratic primary already features Rep. Andy Kim and could include Democratic US Sen. Bob Menendez, who has lost significant party support amid federal bribery charges but hasn’t ruled out a run in 2024. “We need a senator who will work every single day to lower the cost of living, protect abortion rights, end the gun violence epidemic, and defend our democracy,” she said in a roughly four-minute-long video posted online.
Murphy, 58, is a constant at events alongside her husband, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, and has taken on maternal and infant health and the environment as her top issues during her time as first lady—issues she highlighted in her announcement. A Virginia native, and University of Virginia graduate, Tammy Murphy worked in finance at Goldman Sachs alongside Phil Murphy before the couple settled in New Jersey. Democrats picked up at least five seats in the Assembly in this year’s midterm legislative elections, a boon for the governor, who’s in the final two years of his second term. Those successes could translate into critical county support for the first lady, who campaigned alongside the governor to increase their party’s legislative majorities.
Murphy is well known in New Jersey’s political circles. A former Republican, Murphy has spoken about growing up in a GOP-leaning area of Virginia and has previously donated to that party. She became a Democrat before her husband’s run for office. But as NorthJersey.com notes, she faces “stiff competition”—likely including from the man who currently holds the Senate seat, Menendez, who’s been indicted with his wife on various federal bribery charges. The Democratic primary will also include Kim, who announced his candidacy a day after Menendez was indicted. A Public Policy Polling poll released last month found that Kim was the favorite in the race with 42%, while Murphy had 19%, and Menendez clocked in with 5%. The poll left an awful lot of leeway, though, with 34% saying they hadn’t made their minds up. Much more on Murphy’s background here.
(Read more Tammy Murphy stories.)
July 7 (UPI) — A wildfire burning in a New Jersey state Park is 75-percent contained officials said Sunday. It has scorched more than 4,000 acres since Friday.
Fire officials said the extreme heat and rugged terrain is making full containment a challenge.
“It’s hot. I think it’s roughly 94 degrees,” New Jersey Forest Fire Service Chief Bill Donnelly said Friday. “Humidity’s up so a lot of wear and tear on the firefighters.
“The fire is burning in a very rugged area of the Wharton State Forest. A lot of it is inaccessible to motorized vehicles and our fire equipment,” Tom Gerber, incident commander of the NJFFS said Friday.
The so-called Tea Time Hill Wildfire was started by fireworks on July 4th and detected by the U.S. Forest Service about 9am the next day.
“A fireworks device lighted inside the forest ignited the fire late Thursday, July 4,” the NJFFS said in a Facebook post.
No structures are currently threatened, the Forest Service said. The NJFFS had previously reported that a residence and hunting club were threatened and park police evacuated Batona Campground as a precaution. A few local roads and trails were also closed. No injuries or damaged structures had been reported as of Sunday.
“On average, 1,500 wildfires damage or destroy 7,000 acres of New Jersey’s forests each year,” the NJFFS said.
In 2023, wildfire burned more than 18,000 acres of forest in New Jersey. The NJFFS responded to more major fires than they had in more than 20 years.
Authorities say a fast-moving forest fire that has burned thousands of acres in southern New Jersey is now 65% contained.
The blaze in the Wharton State Forest was reported early Friday. Officials believe it began in the area of the Batona Campground in Tabernacle, which was evacuated as a precaution.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said Saturday that the blaze has now burned an estimated 4000 acres (1618.74 hectares), but they report having made “substantial progress” in containing the fire. Officials said crews were monitoring and improving containment lines and conducting burnout operations in pockets of unburnt fuel.
Jack Harris and Ron Washington each had three hits and two RBI as the first-place Crushers won their fifth game in a row, 11-7, at New Jersey on July 6.
Vincent Byrd Jr. added a two-run home run and Logan Thomason drove in three runs. John Tuccillo and Burle Dixon each drove in a run, and Dixon scored two runs. Jarrod Watkins had a hit, walked three times and scored three runs.
The series concludes July7 at New Jersey.
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