Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

RED BANK: MURPHY ROLLS, AND SWEENEY SITS

phil-murphy-051616-3-500x333-2636752Phil Murphy in a campaign photo, apparently taken at Edie’s Luncheonette in Little Silver. (Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot-topic_03-220x138-2130637Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Middletown resident Phil Murphy moved closer to his goal Thursday when a key prospective primary contender decided to sit out the race.

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney said he would not vie for the governorship as Murphy racked up dozens of endorsements from elected officials statewide Thursday, including Red Bank Democrats.

“It is no secret that I seriously considered running and I believe I would have been able to win the general election and return the governor’s mansion to Democratic control,” Sweeney said in an announcement. “As a proud ironworker for almost 40 years, I understood the hard work it would take to win. However, in the last few days it has become clear that Phil Murphy has been able to secure substantial support from Democratic and community leaders that would make my bid all but impossible.”

Sweeney’s announcement came amid a rash of endorsements for Murphy, including those of more than 120 elected officials and party leaders in Monmouth County, according to an announcement by county party chairman Vin Gopal.

Among those on board with Murphy, the announcement said, are Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna; Councilwoman Kathy Horgan; and Councilman Ed Zipprich, who serves as the local party head.

Sweeney told NJ Advance Media that he was being “a realist” in deciding not to vie to succeed Governor Chris Christie.

“The party is coalescing around Phil,” he told the news service. “I made a decision to run for re-election to the Senate. I have a lot of support from my colleagues in the Senate.”

Sweeney’s decision to sit out the race makes Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs executive who served as Ambassador to Germany, “the clear front-runner to win the Democratic primary, if not the governor’s office,” NJ.com reported, citing “experts.” Last week, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who was also expected to seek the Democratic nomination, announced he wouldn’t run.

The Bergen Record reported that Sweeney’s “clears a path” for Murphy to clinch the party’s nomination far ahead of next year’s primary.

Murphy is the Democrats’ only declared candidate so far, and “with a raft of endorsements over the last two weeks, it will be difficult for his remaining rivals to amass sufficient support to take the nomination, although state Sen. Ray Lesniak, Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter, Assemblyman John Wisniewski and the chairman of the state Investment Council, Tom Byrne, have all been exploring bids, among others,” the Record’s Sal Rizzo reported.

Murphy, 59, began laying the groundwork for a gubernatorial run in 2014 with the formation of a policy group, New Start New Jersey. He later launched a more politically active organization, New Way for New Jersey. He, his wife, Tammy, and four children live in the Fairview section of Middletown.

Also backing Murphy locally, according to Gopal’s announcement: Fair Haven Councilman Aimee Humphries and Sea Bright council members Marc Leckstein and Charlie Rooney.

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
Partyline
RED TRUCKS AT RED ROCK
A small dishwasher fire at Red Rock Tap and Grill was put out quickly by firefighters overnight, causing minimal damage. Red Bank Fire Depar ...
CREATIVE COVER UP
The windows of Pearl Street Consignment on Monmouth Street were smashed when a driver crashed their car through them injuring an employee la ...
THEY’RE BACK!
Ospreys returned to the skies over Red Bank this week for the first time since they migrated to warmer climes in late fall. With temperature ...
SPRING IS SPRUNG
RED BANK: Spring 2024 arrives on the Greater Red Bank Green with the vernal equinox at 11:06 p.m. Tuesday.
RED BANK’S FINEST – AND NEWEST
Red Bank Police Officer Eliot Ramos was sworn in as the force’s newest patrolman Thursday, and if you’re doing a double take thinkin ...
EASTER EGG MAYHEM AT THE PARK
An errant whistle spurred an unexpectedly early start to the Spring Egg Hunt on Sunday, which had been scheduled to begin at eggsactly 11am ...
PRESEASON DOCKWORK
RED BANK: With winter winding down, marina gets ready for boating season with some dockwork on our beautiful Navesink River.
CORNED BEEF AND DISCO FRIES?
It’s Friday, and smart Lent-observing Leprechauns know the pot of gold at the end of Red Bank’s rainbow is actually the deliciou ...
SURFBOARD DITCHED
It’s a violation of etiquette in surfing to ditch your board.  (it could hit another surfer and hurt them). But someone appears to ha ...
ELSIE, TAKE ME WITH YOU!
Soaked by pouring rain with the temperature hovering in the low 40’s, this sign in the window of Elsie’s Subs on Monmouth Street ...
WALK THIS WAY
PARTYLINE: Before-and-afters of a sidewalk cleanup on West Street.
SOGGY NOTION
RED BANK: Breezeway sculpture captured the mood downtown as heavy rains fell Saturday morning.
HOME DELIVERY
RED BANK: After a subdivision, an instant house rises on a new Catherine Street lot.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
For Black History Month, Red Bank's Community Engagement and Equity Advisory Committee has been running a series of local profiles on Facebo ...
HEARTY FAREWELL FOR HARDY
RED BANK: Council to honor DPU supervisor Rich Hardy, who retired recently after almost 39 years of keeping things running.
HOMEBOUND? READ ON…
RED BANK: Can't get to the public library? It's now offering free delivery and pickups for homebound borough residents.
TAMING A BEAST OF A WEEK
RED BANK: After the second snowfall of the week, a borough family finds the perfect use for it – a Godzilla snow sculpture.
RED BANK: LIBRARY CLOSED, BUT THE HILL’S OPEN
RED BANK: Though the library was closed by a snowstorm, kids got to enjoy the riverfront property's steep slope Tuesday.
LIGHT(HOUSE) MAKEOVER
This year, getting ready for spring means a midwinter makeover for Strollo's Lighthouse in Red Bank.
TODAY: LOCAL PUPPY COMPETES ON ANIMAL PLANET’S “PUPPY BOWL”
Red Bank’s very own rescue puppy, Biscuit, is set to compete in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl this Sunday, February 11, at 2 PM. Th ...