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Phil Murphy (New Jersey)
2018 - Present
2026
7
Phil Murphy (Democratic Party) is the Governor of New Jersey. He assumed office on January 16, 2018. His current term ends on January 20, 2026.
Murphy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1957.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 1979 from Harvard University, where he was president of the Hasty Pudding Theatrical Club.[2] He earned a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business in 1983.[2] After graduation, Murphy spent 23 years working at investment bank Goldman Sachs, where he worked at international offices in Frankfurt, Germany, and Hong Kong, China.[3] He retired in 2006 as the senior director.[2]
From 2006 to 2009, Murphy was the national finance chair of the Democratic National Committee.[1] Murphy served as United States ambassador to Germany under President Barack Obama (D) from 2009 to 2013.[4] In 2014, Murphy and his wife founded New Start New Jersey, an organization that aimed to help promote middle class growth.[1] Murphy served on the national Board of the NAACP from 2015 to 2017.[1]
Murphy was first elected governor in 2017, winning 56%-42%. His top campaign priority was establishing a public bank in New Jersey, which his campaign website said would "support billions of dollars of critical investments in infrastructure, small businesses, and student loans."[5] In November 2019, Murphy signed an executive order that created a 14-member board to set up the bank.[6] On January 30, 2024, the board approved its final recommendation to the governor for implementation of the bank.[7] Murphy was re-elected in 2021, defetaing Jack Ciattarelli (R), 51% to 48%.
In his 2024 State of the State address, Murphy said, "We may be a small state, but we have always thought and acted big. And it is time to start thinking and acting big about generative AI. ... Our mission is for our state’s top minds to pioneer a series of AI-powered breakthroughs, over the next decade, that will change the lives of billions for the better.”[8]
In June 2024, Murphy signed an executive order designed to expand the state's clemency program by expediting clemency applications.[9] Murphy said clemency used to be "a matter of who you knew or how well connected you were to those in power. With the executive order I’m signing today, we are changing that.”[9]
In August 2024, Murphy signed two bills intended to improve literacy.[10] One bill established a Working Group on Student Literacy to develop literacy strategies, including screening and teaching methods. The other created the Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery to promote student literacy and educational equity.[10]
In July 2025, he signed a budget that increased spending on the state's pension fund for civil servants, on public education, and on property tax relief.[11]
Biography
Phil Murphy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1957.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 1979 from Harvard University and a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business in 1983.[2] Murphy previously worked as an investment banker, as finance chair for the Democratic National Committee from 2006 to 2009, and as United States ambassador to Germany from 2009 to 2013.[3][2][1]
Elections
2025
Phil Murphy was not able to file for re-election due to term limits.
2021
See also: New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2021
New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2021 (June 8 Republican primary)
New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2021 (June 8 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for Governor of New Jersey
Incumbent Phil Murphy defeated Jack Ciattarelli, Madelyn Hoffman, Gregg Mele, and Joanne Kuniansky in the general election for Governor of New Jersey on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Phil Murphy (D) | 51.2 | 1,339,471 | |
| Jack Ciattarelli (R) | 48.0 | 1,255,185 | ||
| Madelyn Hoffman (G) | 0.3 | 8,450 | ||
| Gregg Mele (L) | 0.3 | 7,768 | ||
| Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers Party) | 0.2 | 4,012 | ||
| Total votes: 2,614,886 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Robert Edward Forchion Jr. (Legalize Marihuana Party)
- Justin Maldonado (Independent)
- David Winkler (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of New Jersey
Incumbent Phil Murphy defeated Lisa McCormick in the Democratic primary for Governor of New Jersey on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Phil Murphy | 100.0 | 382,984 | |
| Lisa McCormick (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Total votes: 382,984 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Roger Bacon (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of New Jersey
Jack Ciattarelli defeated Philip Rizzo, Hirsh Singh, and Brian Levine in the Republican primary for Governor of New Jersey on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jack Ciattarelli | 49.5 | 167,690 | |
| Philip Rizzo | 25.7 | 87,007 | ||
| Hirsh Singh | 21.6 | 73,155 | ||
| Brian Levine | 3.3 | 11,181 | ||
| Total votes: 339,033 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Doug Steinhardt (R)
Phil Murphy (D) defeated Jack Ciattarelli (R), Madelyn Hoffman (G), Gregg Mele (L), and Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers Party) in the election for governor of New Jersey. Murphy received 51.2 percent of the vote and Ciattarelli received 48.0 percent of the vote.
This election (alongside the 2021 legislative elections) helped determine New Jersey's trifecta status for the next two years. Heading into the election, New Jersey was a Democratic trifecta, with Democrats holding the governor's office and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.
Between 1992 and 2021, Republicans held the governorship for 16 years and Democrats held the governorship for 14 years. Heading into the 2021 election, the last Democratic governor to win re-election was Brendan Byrne in 1977. Since then, two sitting Democratic governors, Jim Florio (1993) and Jon Corzine (2009), lost re-election to Republican challengers.
In 2017, Murphy defeated then-Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno 56 percent to 42 percent. In that election, Murphy out-raised Guadagno $13.3 million to $3.9 million and out-spent her $9.8 million to $3.3 million. This cycle, based on post-general election reporting, Muprhy outraised Ciattarelli $16.3 million to $15.4 million and outspent Ciattarelli $16.4 million to $15.8 million.
Charles Stile of NorthJersey.com called the election a "race to the bottom" in a September 2021 article, citing Murphy and Ciattarelli's negative attacks targeting the other. Murphy used campaign ads and events to portray Ciattarelli as out of touch with the state's electorate and wanting to impose former President Donald Trump's (R) agenda on the state. Ciattarelli highlighted issues such as taxes and the handling of sexual abuse allegations to frame Murphy as an elected official who does not understand the needs of average New Jerseyites.[12]
In New Jersey, gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates run together on joint tickets. The lieutenant gubernatorial candidates were Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver (D), former state Sen. Diane Allen (R), Heather Warburton (G), Eveline H. Brownstein (L), and Vivian Sahner (Socialist Workers Party). The office was created as the result of a constitutional amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution passed by the voters on November 8, 2005, and effective as of January 17, 2006. The New Jersey Constitution requires that the governor appoint the lieutenant governor to head at least one principal department or agency, though that position may not be the attorney general's office.[13]
At the time of the election, two of the three major race rating outlets rated the general election as Solid Democratic and the third rated it as Likely Democratic.
2017
October 30, 2017: New Jersey gubernatorial candidates Phil Murphy (D) and Kim Guadagno (R) addressed the state's economy in the first debate. Guadagno claimed that more people are working than ever in the history of the state. Murphy claimed that "the labor market participation is at a 10-year low," and that New Jersey has fewer small businesses than when Guadagno and Gov. Christie took office.
Are the candidates’ competing claims about the economy accurate?
Read Ballotpedia's fact check »
New Jersey held an election for governor and lieutenant governor on November 7, 2017. Governor Chris Christie (R) was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. New Jersey elects its governor and lieutenant governor together on a joint ticket.
The general election took place on November 7, 2017. The primary election was held on June 6, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in the primary election was April 3, 2017.
The following candidates ran in the election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey.[14]
| New Jersey Gubernatorial and Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Phil Murphy/Sheila Oliver |
56.03% | 1,203,110 | |
| Republican | Kim Guadagno/Carlos Rendo | 41.89% | 899,583 | |
| Independent | Gina Genovese/Derel Stroud | 0.57% | 12,294 | |
| Libertarian | Peter Rohrman/Karese Laguerre | 0.49% | 10,531 | |
| Green | Seth Kaper-Dale/Lisa Durden | 0.47% | 10,053 | |
| Constitution | Matt Riccardi | 0.32% | 6,864 | |
| Independent | Vincent Ross/April Johnson | 0.23% | 4,980 | |
| Total Votes (6385/6385 precincts reporting) | 2,147,415 | |||
| Source: New Jersey Division of Elections | ||||
Kim Guadagno defeated Jack Ciattarelli, Hirsh Singh, Joseph Rudy Rullo, and Steve Rogers in the Republican primary.[15]
| New Jersey Republican Gubernatorial Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Kim Guadagno |
46.82% | 113,846 |
| Jack Ciattarelli | 31.08% | 75,556 |
| Hirsh Singh | 9.76% | 23,728 |
| Joseph Rudy Rullo | 6.51% | 15,816 |
| Steve Rogers | 5.84% | 14,187 |
| Total Votes | 243,133 | |
| Source: New Jersey Division of Elections | ||
Phil Murphy defeated Jim Johnson, John Wisniewski, Ray Lesniak, Bill Brennan, and Mark Zinna in the Democratic primary.[15]
| New Jersey Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Phil Murphy |
48.42% | 243,643 |
| Jim Johnson | 21.91% | 110,250 |
| John Wisniewski | 21.57% | 108,532 |
| Ray Lesniak | 4.83% | 24,318 |
| Bill Brennan | 2.24% | 11,263 |
| Mark Zinna | 1.04% | 5,213 |
| Total Votes | 503,219 | |
| Source: New Jersey Division of Elections | ||
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Phil Murphy did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Murphy’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Affordable Housing Clean Energy and the Environment COVID-19 Response Criminal Justice Reform Economy and Jobs Education Equality and Justice Gun Safety Health Care Mass Transit and Infrastructure Property Taxes Small Businesses Veterans Voting Rights |
” |
| —Phil Murphy’s campaign website (2021)[17] | ||
2017
Murphy's campaign website states the following:
| “ |
Getting New Jersey Right – The Murphy Economic Agenda “The solutions to nearly all of our state’s problems are rooted in a stronger economy that works from the middle class out. When we get ... Getting Tough on Gun Violence The gun violence epidemic is nothing short of a public health crisis. And yet, Governor Christie continues to stand in the way of sensible reforms. Making the Economy Work for All of Us Under Governor Christie, while the rest of the nation moved forward, New Jersey fell to the bottom of every economic indicator. Ending the Era of High-Stakes Testing Phil Murphy is committed to ending New Jersey’s reliance on PARCC tests and eliminating standardized testing as a requirement for graduation. NJ Transit “Governor Christie’s mismanagement of NJ Transit has wrecked what was once a national leading transit agency. The quality of service has declined even as fares ... Keeping Our Promises and Putting Our State’s Finances Back On Track: New Jersey has the worst funded pension system in the country, which is a result of this governor and other Trenton insiders. Creating a New Retirement Plan for Employees of Small Businesses More than half of private-sector employees in NJ work for employers who do not offer retirement plans. Supporting Women’s Rights It is unacceptable that gender inequality continues to exist in 2017. Lowering the Cost of a College Education Phil understands that we don’t get our economy right without getting higher education right. Making Home Ownership More Affordable and Accessible Phil is committed to helping make sure that anyone who works hard and plays by the rules has a chance to build a middle-class life. Building a Green Economy and Protecting Our Environment Phil understands that we need to generate clean energy here in New Jersey and not import polluting electricity from neighboring states while exporting jobs. Healthcare That Works for All of Us For too long we have let special interests like for-profit hospitals outweigh the interests of 9 million residents. Battling Addiction As governor, Phil will remove the the stigma that surrounds addiction and tackle our opioid epidemic. Getting Education Right Phil believes that our public schools are a critical part of what makes this state great. Ending the Mismanagement and Building a World Class Transportation Infrastructure We cannot grow our economy without world-class infrastructure, but the same old politicians in Trenton have spent decades letting our roads, bridges, railways, and ports crumble. Honoring Veterans New Jersey is home to more than 435,000 proud veterans, yet many live with wounds we cannot see. Ensuring LGBTQ Equality In the era of Donald Trump, Phil will not give an inch on the equal treatment of our LGBTQ neighbors. Tearing Down Barriers to Voting Phil believes that we are a better, stronger, more representative democracy when more people participate. Protecting Immigrant Rights, Protecting New Jersey Values Phil will protect the Dreamers and oppose any efforts to use state and local police to assist in mass deportations. Putting the Justice in Criminal Justice “We must work to bridge the gap between police and the communities they serve. I will be an inclusive governor that brings all parties together ... Ending Wall Street’s Influence on State Street In New Jersey, the wealthiest 1% continue to pay a far lower share of their income in state and local taxes than the lowest-income residents. Making New Jersey More Affordable “From property taxes to the cost of college to our transit fares and tolls, too many New Jerseyans no longer feel like they are no ... A Public Bank – Investing in New Jersey Not Wall Street Phil has proposed that New Jersey become the second state in the nation to start a public bank. A Strong Commitment to People with Disabilities Phil is determined to make New Jersey the most inclusive and most accessible place to live, work and raise a family for people with disabilities. Reclaiming the Innovation Economy and Building a Middle Class for the 21st Century Before there was Silicon Valley, there was New Jersey. From Pharma to bio and life sciences to telecoms, New Jersey was once flush with companies ... Building a Clean Energy Economy “To get New Jersey right, we must both grow our economy and make it fair. Investing in clean energy does both. We can rebuild our ... Women’s Economic Agenda New Jersey will not move forward, nor will we grow our middle class as long as half our workforce is unfairly paid less, has less ... Supporting – Not Demonizing – Working People “The union door is a primary door through which so many of us – and our parents and brothers and sisters – walked into the middle class. We will build a stronger, more inclusive New Jersey economy because of our support for organized labor, not the other way around.” |
” |
| —Phil Murphy's 2017 campaign website[18] | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Noteworthy events
On Wednesday, February 10, 2021, Murphy announced he would enter a self-quarantine after a member of his family tested positive for COVID-19.[19] Murphy and his wife, Tammy Murphy, began a self-quarantine on October 21, 2020, that was expected to go through October 25. Communications Director Mahen Gunaratna said in a statement that the governor and first lady received negative results after being tested for COVID-19 on October 21.[20]
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COVID-19, also known as coronavirus disease 2019, is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The first confirmed case of the disease in the United States was announced on January 21, 2020. For more of Ballotpedia's coverage of the coronavirus impact on political and civic life, click here.
Commission releases report on investigation into Murphy administration's hiring practices (2019)
On October 29, 2018, the state Legislature voted to establish a special commission (Legislative Select Oversight Committee) to investigate the hiring practices of Gov. Murphy's administration. The identical resolutions, SCR 148 and ACR 203, established a 15-member commission chaired by Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D) and Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin (D).[21]
The commission was created to look into the administration's hiring practices and stemmed from rape allegations against former staffer Albert J. Alvarez. On October 14, The Wall Street Journal reported that Katie Brennan, chief of staff to the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, accused Alvarez of raping her after a campaign event in 2017. At that time, Brennan and Alvarez were volunteers for Murphy's gubernatorial campaign.[22]
Brennan said she told the administration about the allegations before Alvarez was hired as chief of staff to the Schools Development Authority. Alvarez resigned from his position October 2, 2018. Alvarez denied the accusations.[23][24] The governor's office said Alvarez passed a background check before he was hired. The governor also launched his own investigation.[24]
The commission released its report on June 5, 2019. Its findings included a statement that Brennan's sexual harassment allegations against Alvarez should have been investigated before Alvarez was hired by Murphy's administration. "Upon learning of the sexual assault allegation made against Mr. Alvarez by someone working on a transition advisory committee, transition leadership should have immediately conducted a thorough and rigorous investigation into the allegation," the report stated. It also recommended changes to state laws and policies.[25]
Rejoining greenhouse gas initiative (2018)
On January 29, 2018, Murphy signed an executive order for New Jersey to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which the state had withdrawn from under Gov. Chris Christie (R). The initiative—which at the time included Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont—capped how much carbon a plant powered by fossil fuels could emit. The initiative sought to reduce carbon dioxide emissions below 2005 levels. It was first formed in 2005 and initially joined by New Jersey. Christie signed an order removing the state in 2012.[26]
See also
| New Jersey | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
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Candidate Governor of New Jersey |
Officeholder Governor of New Jersey |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 NJ.gov, "Governor Phil Murphy," accessed September 20, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 NJ.com, "Wall Street to Wikileaks: 7 facts about gubernatorial hopeful Phil Murphy," May 17, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 New York Times, "Despite Similarities, Candidate for New Jersey Governor Says He’s No Corzine," November 2, 2016
- ↑ NJ.com, "Former ambassador to Germany seriously considers bid for NJ governor," May 20, 2014
- ↑ Phil Murphy 2017 campaign website, "Getting New Jersey Right – The Murphy Economic Agenda," archived September 20, 2017
- ↑ WHYY, "N.J. considers setting up nation’s second public bank," November 13, 2019
- ↑ NJ.gov, "Public Bank Implementation Board Provides Final Recommendations to Governor on Creation of New Jersey Public Bank," February 6, 2024
- ↑ NBC Philadelphia, "NJ Gov. Phil Murphy touts economic initiatives in State of the State Address," January 9, 2024
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 New Jersey Monitor, "Gov. Murphy order launches expansive clemency program," June 19, 2024
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Insider NJ, "Governor Murphy Signs Legislation Bolstering Literacy Education for New Jersey Students," August 13, 2024
- ↑ [https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/01/new-jersey-phil-murphy-budget-criticism-00434746 Politico, " New Jersey's Phil Murphy takes heat from all sides in final budget as governor," July 1, 2025]
- ↑ NorthJersey.com, "'Hit him hard': The contest for NJ governor is already a race to the bottom," September 7, 2021
- ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "New Jersey State Constitution 1947," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official List - Candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official Primary Results 2017 - Governor," June 28, 2017
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Phil Murphy’s campaign website, “On the Issues,” accessed September 3, 2021
- ↑ Phil Murphy's 2017 campaign website, "Issues," archived June 6, 2017
- ↑ NBC Philadelphia, "NJ Gov. Murphy to Quarantine After Family Member Tests Positive for Coronavirus," February 10, 2021
- ↑ Office of Governor Phil Murphy, "Statement from Communications Director Mahen Gunaratna," October 21, 2020
- ↑ Insider NJ, "Assembly and Senate Pass Concurrent Resolutions to Empower Legislative Committee to Investigate Murphy Admin Hiring Practices," October 29, 2018
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "A Sexual-Assault Accusation in New Jersey Spotlights a National Dilemma," October 14, 2018
- ↑ Fox News, "New Jersey legislature votes to investigate after Gov. Murphy hired staffer despite rape claim," October 31, 2018
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 NJ.com, "N.J. lawmakers give themselves the power to investigate rape claim against former Murphy staffer," October 29, 2018
- ↑ New Jersey State Legislature, "REPORT OF THE NEW JERSEY LEGISLATIVE SELECT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CONCERNING THE HIRING OF ALBERT J. ALVAREZ AS CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY," June 5, 2019
- ↑ Governing, "New Jersey Rejoins Regional Cap and Trade Group," January 30, 2018
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Chris Christie (R) |
Governor of New Jersey 2018-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
U.S. Ambassador to Germany 2009-2013 |
Succeeded by - |
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State of New Jersey Trenton (capital) |
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