Four months after announcing his running for the position of Governor of New Jersey, Philip Murphy was welcomed to NJIT’s campus to talk about his stance on multiple topics, focusing on the middle class and making sure New Jersey lives up to its potential.
Candidate Murphy made it clear immediately that the problem the state faces is rooted in its economy. Murphy mentioned the state’s past accomplishments of innovation within the STEM field and expressed interest in a STEM driven economy. This would explain his reason for coming to NJIT, as the school employment rate after graduation is one of the highest in the state.
Due to New Jersey’s close proximity with New York and a multitude of other ports, Murphy believes that it is possible to create more jobs and job opportunities within the state. Jobs that would help the working middle class instead of solely benefiting the 1%.
“I see what works and what doesn’t.” When it comes to experience in government and business, few are as qualified as candidate Murphy. Taking on roles such as the United States Ambassador from 2009-2013, serving as finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and an extensive 23-year career at Goldman Sachs (retiring a decade ago).
With Governor Christie’s recent streak of absences from the state have been noticed by all, Murphy has this to say about his reason for running, “I am running for governor because New Jersey desperately needs adult leadership that puts our people first.”
As a founder of “New Start New Jersey”, a non-profit organization that focuses on pushing progressive policies to the forefront, Murphy mentioned plans for what he believes would lead to a successful economic foundation for the state.
Among his platform are plans for loan forgiveness, decreasing the wage gap between men and women, and raising the minimum wage. When Governor Chris Christie vetoed a bill against raising the minimum wage to $15, Murphy responded, “Asking people to work more and pay less is an insult.”
Former State Senator and Mayor of Newark Sharpe James had this to say about Murphy after the speaking, “It’s a breath of fresh air. All of these politicians nowadays keep talking about themselves and have only their benefits in mind. When he [Philip Murphy] talks, he says “we” the people and not “I”.”
With the election taking place in November of next year, Murphy finds rivals in fellow Democrats Steven Fulop, Mayor of Jersey City, and Stephen M. Sweeney, State Senate President of the County of Gloucester.
With a progressive platform catering towards young adults, minorities, and female voters, it would appear that Murphy has the opportunity to succeed Christie as governor.
