NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Tammy Murphy and Andy Kim met for a debate Sunday night to distinguish themselves as the right person to replace embattled Senator Bob Menendez.
The debate, hosted by On New Jersey and the New Jersey Globe, asked the candidates what separates them from the other, and generally, both Democrats shared similar positions on policy, including abortion rights, universal healthcare, support for Ukraine, and peace in the Middle East.
Congressman Kim asked First Lady Murphy about her past as a registered Republican voter.
“Earlier in this debate, you talked about it as saying the Republican Party left you, the current Republican Party left you. But I have to be honest, that doesn’t sit well with me when I’m trying to think about what your positions are,” he said.
Murphy responded, saying, “Listen, I haven’t voted for a Republican in a general election in more than two decades. I’ve been a Democrat for 10 years. And please, I think you have to know my values are strong, they’re Democratic core values.”
She also criticized Kim for voting along with former president Donald Trump on a couple of past immigration laws.
A thorny issue
New Jersey has a one-of-a-kind system for primary elections, which gives favorable ballot positions decided by counties.
Kim said he wants to abolish that system and said he would share the line in every county with Murphy. She said the rules now are the rules. She is open to discussion on changing them but wants to move forward with the current format.
“We’re all working within the same system, and if there are improvements to be made, then let’s have the improvements. But right now, we’re in the middle of a campaign — let’s just move forward with the ground rules as we know them,” Murphy said.