Friend,

I first ran for Governor with a clear purpose – born out of my own life’s American Dream journey – to grow and strengthen New Jersey’s middle class, to make our state stronger and fairer, and to build an economy that works for every family. 

In short, to see New Jersey be the place where the American Dream not only lives, but thrives — to make New Jersey the Opportunity State for all who call our great state home. Even as we have responded to a global pandemic over the past two years, this has been my guiding purpose every day for the past four. And after being sworn-in to a new term today, it will be my purpose every day for the next four. 

We know that many challenges remain, and that many more will surely come.  

To start, we must continue waging war against a pandemic that has uprooted too many of our fellow New Jerseyans’ very sense of security. Our job is to make living, working, and raising a family in New Jersey secure again for every one of the 9.3 million members of our extended family. 

We’re going to continue making health care more affordable by making commonsense decisions that drive down costs while not jeopardizing either the quality of care or our state’s reputation as home of one of the nation’s finest health care systems. We’re going to continue to invest in our students and make higher education more accessible and affordable. We’re going to keep chopping away at property taxes. We’re going to keep working toward fully funding our public schools. And we’re going to continue growing the innovation economy that will power our future and make us a model for the nation and the world. 

My vow to everyone in New Jersey, whether you voted for me or not, every single day I will fight for you. Every single day I will work to move our state forward. And every single day I will dedicate myself to making New Jersey the state where the future works for each of us because I will be the governor working for all of us. 

That is why I am committed to making sure everyone across our great state has their fair shot and each of us does our fair share.   

That is the American Dream with New Jersey flavor and attitude – and Jersey values. And that is how we make New Jersey the Opportunity State. After all, it is a privilege to be an American, it is an honor to be a New Jerseyan. 

Governor Phil Murphy  
 

P.S. — You can watch my full inaugural address here