NJ First Lady Tammy Murphy suspends US Senate campaign, citing desire to avoid hostility

Tammy Murphy, First Lady of New Jersey, announced the suspension of her U.S. Senate campaign in a video posted to the social media platform X on Sunday.

"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," she said. "With (former President Donald J. Trump) on the ballot and so much on stake for our nation, I will not, in good conscience, waste resources tearing down a fellow Democrat."

Since announcing her campaign, Murphy has trailed Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) in opinion polls by margins totaling more than 10 points, according to an article from POLITICO.

With Murphy no longer pursuing her campaign and Sen. Robert Menendez's (D-N.J.) previous announcement regarding his refusal to run for the Democratic party's nomination, Kim is now the party's presumed nominee, according to an article from POLITICO.

Following Murphy's announcement, on Sunday, Kim released a statement on the social media platform X expressing gratitude for the support he received and asking the public to regard Murphy's campaign suspension and dedication to the state positively.

"It's important to take a step back and remember that we are all a part of something bigger than all of us," his statement read. "We are here at this moment today because of the extraordinary grassroots movement growing in (New Jersey)"

A previous, notable point of contention between the Kim and Murphy campaigns was Kim's lawsuit against the state of New Jersey, contesting that the state's ballot design is unconstitutional, according to an article from The New York Times.

Ballots in the state place candidates endorsed by county leaders in the same column, while unendorsed candidates are placed further away on the ballot, a practice called "the line." According to the Times' article, the line is expected to have helped Murphy's campaign had it progressed.

In her announcement, Murphy referenced the line as she explained her future goals.

"It is time to unify, not divide," Murphy said. "I will now focus entirely on re-electing President (Joseph R. Biden) and ensuring Democratic victories up and down the ballot all across New Jersey."