When watching Tammy Murphy’s announcement video, there was no doubt she knows who votes in Democratic primaries – those more liberal than the electorate at large.

So it was no surprise that the First Lady stressed pretty liberal ideas and principles in making her U.S. Senate candidacy official.

She spent some time talking about climate change and how it is important to teach students about the problem at an early age.

Her work to combat infant mortality was also highlighted. This work is bipartisan to be sure, but Murphy stressed that the problem impacts the “black and brown” community the most.

Murphy also talked about her Wall Street career in finance, noting that the job took her all over the world.
But a main takeaway was that many times, she was the only woman at the table. Point made about struggles of women to be accepted and respected in male-dominated fields.

She also took a swipe at those in Washington “more interested in getting rich or getting on camera, than getting things done for you.”

One of those pictured to make that point was none other than Bob Menendez. No upset there.

The reaction was not totally unexpected.

Showing the power of the governor and the acceptance many politicians have of nepotism, a number of party organizations quickly endorsed her.

That included the Hudson County Democratic Organization. So much for Menendez.

There was also a social media post I saw from a Republican saying that Tammy Murphy will have to run on the abysmal record of her husband – the governor.

Well, that’s getting ahead of oneself.

Murphy needs to get through the primary and it’s unlikely that Democratic primary voters think the governor is doing a lousy job. And let’s not forget that statewide Democrats did quite well in last week’s election. So maybe most New Jerseyans do not think Murphy’s record is abysmal.

The obvious issue between now and the June primary is one the First Lady did not address in her video.

Would she be a candidate for the U.S. Senate if her husband was not Phil Murphy?

It’s an obvious question – and one with an obvious answer.

Everyone who follows politics knows the importance of family connections.

Senator Menendez and Rep. Menendez. Former Governor Kean and Rep. Kean.

Yes, that type of stuff is all around us.

So, the obvious goal for Senate candidate Andy Kim is to convince primary voters that it should take more than family connections to get to the U.S. Senate

On his Facebook page, Kim is boasting about a poll that shows him with a 19-point lead over Murphy. Menendez is 35-points behind.

Polls are nice, but they probably don’t mean much now.

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