Volume 12 Issue 11 - Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Governor Murphy’s 57% Approval Ratings, Murphy Announces $275 Million in Relief for Small Businesses, Murphy Reelection Campaign Launches $5 Million Paid Media Effort: and Sean Hughes Named BANJ President

Governor Murphy’s 57% Approval Ratings: According to a Monmouth University poll released last week, Governor Phil Murphy has a 57% approval rating among New Jersey residents. 35% of voters disapprove of Murphy’s job performance, giving him a solid 22-point net positive rating.

48% of those polled said Murphy deserves a second term, while 43% said he should not. Support for the incumbent’s reelection stands at 77% among Democrats, 39% among independents, and 15% among Republicans. 

The poll also shows that an increasing number of New Jerseyans believe that Governor Murphy is more concerned about governing the state (49%) than he is about his own political future (41%).

A somewhat greater number of New Jerseyans see Murphy as being more concerned about governing the state (49%) than he is about his own political future (41%). This is a shift from polls taken two years ago, when residents were somewhat more likely to see Murphy as being primarily concerned with his political career.

Governor Murphy, along with California Governor Gavin Newsome who is facing a recall, are the only two incumbent governors on the ballot this year.

Murphy Announces $275 Million in Relief for Small Businesses: Last week, Governor Phil Murphy announced an additional $235 million in funding for small business relief and $40 million in funding for an excluded residents fund to assist individuals negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new small business funding, proposed by the Governor’s Office and agreed upon by legislative leadership, will fulfill existing Phase IV small business grant requests made to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), while the new direct cash assistance program will help New Jerseyans in need who have been excluded from previous rounds of COVID relief. Additionally, as part of the small business relief agreement, EDA will extend Phase IV and will begin accepting applications from businesses that missed the previous small business relief program deadlines.

“COVID-19 has created unimaginable challenges for our economy over the past year,” said Governor Murphy. “As we emerge from this pandemic, we need to make targeted investments in both our small businesses and our workforce to lay the foundation for a stronger and fairer future that works for everyone.”

Murphy Reelection Campaign Launches $5 Million Paid Media Effort: This week, Murphy for Governor 2021 launched a nearly $5 million multi-platform paid media effort, spanning both television and digital, to communicate directly with voters ahead of the June 8 primary. This comprehensive strategy includes a bilingual website designed to engager, educate and mobilize voters.

takes an audience-first approach to remind voters of the meaningful progress Governor Murphy has made over the last three-plus years to make New Jersey stronger and fairer for everyone.  

"With less than a month to go until the June 8 Democratic primary, we are ramping up a coordinated effort to communicate directly with voters, highlighting Governor Murphy's leadership in building a stronger and fairer post-pandemic economy that works for everyone," said Murphy for Governor Campaign Manager Mollie Binotto. "Today, we are launching a multi-platform paid media effort, spanning both television and digital, to remind voters that we will keep moving forward under Governor Murphy's leadership."

Sean Hughes Named BANJ President: The Bus Association of New Jersey (BANJ) recently held its annual elections and chose Coach USA’s Sean Hughes as President, and Mike Horak of Academy Bus as the Vice President.

“I am extremely honored to have been elected President. I am looking forward to working with Mike to represent our industry and advocate for our passengers and employees in Trenton and around the Garden State,” said Sean Hughes, President BANJ. 

The Bus Association of New Jersey represents the private bus industry. Private bus companies account for about one-third of scheduled bus service in the state, based on passenger miles prior to the pandemic and operate routes in 15 New Jersey counties.


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