There were times during the pandemic when critics opined that Phil Murphy just did whatever Andrew Cuomo did.

It was true that regulations in New York and New Jersey generally mirrored each other.

A lot of this had to do with the need for a regional approach. It would have made no sense, for instance, for indoor dining to be closed in New Jersey if it was open in New York.

Snide remarks aside, if Murphy did rely on Cuomo for support, if not a bit of guidance, that has come to an abrupt end. After a week of procrastinating, Cuomo resigned today in the face of sexual harassment complaints from multiple women.

The governor of New York impacts New Jersey just about by definition.

But now with the incoming governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, a largely unknown figure, Murphy is on his own – sort of. New York, of course, will still have a governor, but Murphy through experience alone would appear to be the one to lead any two-state initiatives.

This, of course, can raise his profile even more, which is a convenient thing to happen if you are running for reelection in less than three months.

New Jersey’s governor boldly leading the region through the continuing, and at times worsening, pandemic is how Team Murphy would write the script.

Team Ciattarelli would disagree.

Already, Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli is talking about the Murphy Administration’s poor record on women’s issues.

What happened in New York with Cuomo has absolutely nothing to do with Phil Murphy, but now that sexual harassment is again at the top of the news, Republicans are ready to pounce.

Here’s what Ciattarelli himself said in a Facebook post just last week:

“Governor Murphy has repeatedly sided with powerful men at the expense of women who are victims of abuse, harassment, and even rape. Let me be clear, Phil Murphy is the most anti-women governor the state of New Jersey has ever had.”

This is rhetoric to be sure.

The facts Republicans bring up are continuing problems at the state’s only women’s prison and the Katie Brennan case.

How far does this go?

Problems at the prison are real, but the hard and bitter truth is that the public probably doesn’t care all that much about how inmates are treated. They should, but they don’t.

As for Brennan, as we saw at legislative hearings, the administration handled her allegations of rape very poorly. Yet, in fairness, no law enforcement agency ever charged Brennan’s alleged assailant with sexual assault.

But who needs facts?

It took only a few hours after Cuomo’s resignation for Republicans to boldly connect the New Yorker’s plight with Trenton.

“All women deserve to feel safe in their workplace – whether that be on the campaign trail or in the chambers of a Statehouse,” said Sen. Kristin Corrado of Passaic County. “From Albany to Trenton, those who protected and perpetuated sexual abuse cannot be left off the hook.”

Fellow Republican Sen. Holly Schepisi of Bergen County offered similar thoughts, saying that while Cuomo has walked the plank, so to speak, women “who have reported similar abuses by men in the Murphy administration are still waiting for justice of their own.”

What’s that old line?

“Never let a good crisis (or resignation) go to waste.”