New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy on Sunday suspended her run for U.S. Senate, days after embattled Sen. Bob Menendez announced he would not be running as a Democrat.
Murphy made the announcement on X.
“I have been genuine and factual throughout, but it is clear to me that continuing in this race will involve waging a very divisive and negative campaign, which I am not willing to do,” Murphy said.
Murphy threw her hat into the ring in November to replace embattled Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who announced Thursday that he would not be seeking the nomination as a Democrat while he battles federal corruption charges. But he left the door open to running as an independent, saying “hopeful that my exoneration will take place this summer and allow me to pursue my candidacy.”
Murphy dropping out of the race clears the path for Rep. Andy Kim to win the Democratic nomination.
With her race for Senate over, Murphy said she’ll be using her time to focus on getting President Biden reelected and ensuring victories for Democrats in New Jersey.
“With Donald Trump on the ballot and so much at stake for our nation, I will not, in good conscience, waste resources tearing down a fellow Democrat,” she said.
This is a breaking story. It will be updated.