Tammy Murphy receives encouragement from Democrats to consider governor run; Jersey City Mayor Fulop believes she'd "be a good senator"

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and his wife Tammy Murphy arrive for the White House state dinner for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at the White House on April 26, 2023 in Washington, DC.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and his wife Tammy Murphy arrive for the White House state dinner for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at the White House on April 26, 2023 in Washington, DC. Photo credit Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — Following Sen. Bob Menendez’s indictment, New Jersey’s First Lady Tammy Murphy received calls from multiple Democrats encouraging her to run for the United States Senate in 2024, according to reports.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop also expressed his support for Murphy on social media.

“To be fair, if you look at Tammy’s work objectively, she has been very engaged in NJ issues, poverty issues, infant mortality issues, disaster recovery; she is competent and would be a good senator,” Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop wrote on X.

According to the New Jersey Globe, five high-level Democrats are backing Murphy, but she is reportedly not currently actively considering running. She wants to focus on her commitment to raising funds for Democratic legislative candidates this fall.

If she chooses to run, Murphy could become New Jersey’s first female U.S. Senator, potentially boosting the turnout of suburban women and providing support to down-ballot candidates. She would also be challenging Menendez in the Democratic primary or could run for an open seat if Menendez chooses not to.

On Friday, federal prosecutors announced their sweeping bribery case against Menendez, his wife Nadine Menendez, and multiple other associates. It's Menendez's second time facing federal charges; the first case ended in a mistrial in 2017.

Menendez is firm in his decision not to step down but has not clarified whether he intends to run for reelection. Should Menendez choose to resign, it would fall to Gov. Phil Murphy to singlehandedly appoint his successor to serve out the rest of the term, ending in January 2025.

Other potential Democratic contenders include Reps. Andy Kim, Frank Pallone, Jr., Josh Gottheimer, Mikie Sherrill, and Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz.

1010 WINS has reached out to Murphy's office for a comment.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images