Democrat,

As the leader of our state and our party, Governor Phil Murphy means a lot to all of us and when he was diagnosed with early stage kidney cancer a few weeks ago it was a shock. But the Governor has shown great courage and perseverance in tackling his situation head on while also taking it as an opportunity to talk about how important it is for everyone to have affordable health care, so they can get the kind of preventative care needed to catch issues like this early. Read more about the Governor’s progress and more in this week’s update!

Governor Murphy had surgery this week to remove a cancerous tumor on his kidney, and the operation was a complete success! While the Governor recuperates, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver is stepping into his shoes and doing an excellent job keeping us on the right track. On behalf of everyone here at the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, I wish the Governor a speedy and full recovery and look forward to him returning to action soon.

Increasing representation and participation in politics by women is a core value of our party. Studies have shown that female candidates up and down the ballot perform just as well or better than male candidates, but unfortunately there are still a number of barriers holding many women back from taking the big leap to run for office. That’s why programs like the Ready to Run initiative at Rutgers’ Center for American Women in Politics are so important. Learn more about Ready to Run here and share this link with any women you know who may be interested in public service. 

Former Congressman Donald Payne Sr. was one of the most groundbreaking and influential black political leaders in our state’s history, and his son Congressman Donald Payne Jr. has followed in his footsteps to continue advocating for the people of Essex, Union and Hudson counties. Just this week, Rep. Payne was a prime sponsor of the Coronavirus response bill, which will devote $7.8 billion towards fighting the spread of the disease. That’s the kind of effective leader we need, and I’m proud to call Rep. Payne a friend.

Recognizing the successful leadership of Essex County’s Acting Prosecutor Ted Stephens, II as part of the General Assembly’s Black History Month celebration, Assemblywoman Britnee N. Timberlake honored Stephens in the State House this week. An Essex County native with a Juris Doctor Degree from Seton Hall University, Stephens was appointed Acting Prosecutor in September 2017. Since then, he has served as the chief law enforcement officer for the county, heading a department of over 400 judicial employees. Read more about how Prosecutor Ted Stephens has helped make Essex County safer here. 

Thank you,

Chairman John Currie