Tammy Murphy Raises $3.2 Million for US Senate Campaign
In her just the first six weeks as a U.S. Senate candidate, First Lady Tammy Murphy has raised $3.2 million, surpassing her main rival Rep. Andy Kim, who raised $2.75 million raised during his first fourteen weeks as a candidate.
Murphy has $2,727,090 cash-on-hand, about $127,000 more than Kim, a three-term congressman and former Obama White House staffer.
Incumbent US Senator Bob Menendez, who is facing multiple federal corruption charges, has expressed his intention to run for re-election. Democrats Lawrence Hamm, a civil rights leader and former Newark school board member and Patricia Campos-Medina, a labor leader and long-time progressive activist, are also running in the June 2024 Primary to replace Menendez.
Murphy’s fundraising total is the largest in state history for a non-incumbent U.S. Senate candidate who wasn’t self-funding their campaign in the same timeframe of about half of one fundraising quarter. She received contributions from all 21 New Jersey counties.
Legislature Approves Pay Raises for Themselves, Governor and Other Officials
On Monday, both houses of the New Jersey State Legislature passed legislation to boost their annual salaries from $49,000 to $82,000, increases the governor’s salary from $175,000 to $210,000 annually and boosts the top rate for Cabinet and other top officials to $210,000 from $175,000. It also boosts the amount lawmakers get specifically to pay their staff, from $135,000 to $150,000. Legislators, unlike in some other states, don’t get a per diem rate or car mileage reimbursements.
The Democrat-controlled Legislature approved the bill a day before a new session starts and when lawmakers take their oaths of office. If signed by Governor Murphy, the bill won’t go into effect until 2026, after Murphy leaves office and lawmakers face voters in the regular 2025 general election.
Lawmakers haven’t voted themselves a raise since 2002, and some argued that the 67% increase is needed to keep up with rising costs. They also said they sometimes had to dip into their own pockets to perform the duties the job requires.
NJ’s 2024-25 Legislative Session Begins
The 221st New Jersey Legislature was called to order on Tuesday, with 37 new lawmakers – nearly one-third of the legislature – being sworn in.
That number includes ten new Senators and 27 new members of the General Assembly. They replace 31 incumbents with a combined 389 years of service in Trenton, whose terms came to an end this week, some by their own hand and others at the suggestion of their constituents.
Nicholas Scutari assumed his second term as Senate President and Craig Coughlin was sworn into his fourth term becoming the longest-serving Assembly Speaker in New Jersey history. Anthony Bucco will begin his first full term as Senate Minority Leader, and John DiMaio will start his second term as Assembly Minority Leader.
Democrats have a 25-15 majority in the Senate; their majority in the Assembly will be 52-28 after picking up six seats in the 2023 mid-term election.
Speaker Coughlin Announces Assembly Committee Leadership Posts
This week, Speaker Craig Coughlin announced the following assembly committee leadership posts for the 2024-25 Legislative session:
New Assembly Chairs & Committees:
○ Chair: Eliana Pintor Marin (D-Newark)
○ Vice Chair: Benjie Wimberly (D-Paterson)
● Appropriations Committee:
○ Chair: Lisa Swain (D-Fair Lawn)
○ Vice Chair: Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Trenton)
● Aging Human Services Committee:
○ Chair: Shanique Speight (D-Newark)
● Community Development & Women's Affairs Committee: (The Women & Children committee has been eliminated)
○ Chair: Shavonda Sumter (D-Paterson)
● Children, Families and Food Security Committee: (the Assembly Agriculture and Food Security has been eliminated)
○ Chair: Shama Haider (D-Tenafly)
● Commerce, Economic Development, and Agriculture Committee:
○ Chair: William Spearman (D-Camden)
● Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee:
○ Chair: Roy Freiman (D-Hillsborough)
○ Vice Chair: Gary Schaer (D-Passaic)
● Regulated Professions Committee:
○ Chair: Sterley Stanley (D-East Brunswick)
● Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee:
○ Chair: Clinton Calabrese (D-Cliffside Park)
● Judiciary Committee Chair:
○ Chair: Ellen Park (D-Englewood Cliffs)
● Labor Committee:
○ Chair: Anthony Verrelli (D-Hopewell)
● State & Local Government Committee:
○ Chair: Robert Karabinchak (D-Edison)
● Public Safety and Preparedness: (new panel combines two previous committees - Law and Public Safety & Homeland Security)
○ Chair: Joseph Danielsen (D-Franklin)
● Oversight, Reform, and Federal Relations Committee:
○ Chair: Reginald Atkins (D-Roselle)
● Higher Education Committee:
○ Chair: Linda Carter (D-Plainfield)
● Tourism, Gaming, and the Arts Committee:
○ Chair: Bill Moen (D-Bellmawr)
● Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste Committee: (Special Committee on Infrastructure and Natural Resources has been eliminated)
○ Chair: James Kennedy (D-Rahway)
● Consumers Affairs Committee:
○ Chair: William Sampson IV (D-Bayonne)
Returning Assembly Committee Chairs:
● Education Committee:
○ Chair: Pam Lampitt (D-Cherry Hill)
● Health Committee:
○ Chair: Herbert Conaway (D-Delanco)
● Housing Committee:
○ Chair: Yvonne Lopez (D-Perth Amboy)
● Veterans and Military Affairs Committee:
○ Chair: Cleopatra Tucker (D-Newark)
● Telecommunications and Utilities Committee:
○ Chair: Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton)
● Science, Innovation and Technology Committee:
○ Chair: Chris Tully (D-Bergenfield)
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