TRENTON, N.J. (1010 WINS) — Gov Phil Murphy on Sunday said his unexpectedly close reelection victory shows his administration must “connect more deeply” with New Jerseyans.
“It's quite clear there's a lot of hurt out there. And there are a lot of kitchen tables that we need to connect more deeply with and help folks get through this period, whether they lost a loved one, a job, a small business, they're frustrated by the ongoing pandemic or economic recovery, whatever it may be,” Murphy said during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Meet the Press. “
“I like what we're doing, that's quite clear. Without it, we might've been swept away. But we want to reach more deeply into more families in our state,” he added.
Murphy credited his policy priorities — expanding pre-K, raising the minimum wage, and investing in infrastructure — for making him the first Democratic governor to be reelected in New Jersey in 44 years.
The Associated Press called the race for Murphy on Wednesday evening, when Murphy at the time received just 50.02 percent of the votes against his Republican rival, Jack Ciattarelli.
Murphy celebrated the passing of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill in Congress as a “game-changer” — but said Democrats need to address the disconnect between what the actual bill will deliver and how it can work for his state.
“So you look at that debate in Washington and folks feel like well ‘I wonder if this would work.’ And I'm screaming out, ‘Listen, look at New Jersey, it is working. We're doing this stuff, and we know what works,'" he said.
Ciattarelli meanwhile has refused to concede in the governor's race, saying in a video posted to Twitter Thursday that he is awaiting every vote to be counted.
"The governor's victory speech last night was premature," Ciattarelli said at the time. "No one should be declaring victory or conceding the election until every legal vote is counted.”
He has called for a recount but has respected the electoral process, urging followers not to chase conspiracy theories.
“I don't want people falling victim to wild conspiracy theories or online rumors," Ciattarelli said in the video. "While consideration is paid to any and all credible reports, please don't believe everything you see or read online."
Related
