In New Jersey, some see old-school politics giving way to ‘spring’ amid corruption scandal

TRENTON, NJ– New Jersey has a well-deserved reputation as a home to backroom political dealings.

But advocates hoping to break the boss-dominated culture in this Democratic stronghold say the ongoing corruption case against Sen. Bob Menendez may have opened the door to a new era in Garden State politics.

Many progressives cheered this weekend when Tammy Murphy withdrew from a closely watched Senate primary, seeing her as benefiting from a system they say gives party leaders undue influence. The well-connected wife of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy dropped her bid to succeed Menendez, who days earlier had said he would not seek another term as a Democrat, in the blue-tilting state.

Murphy’s departure followed on the heels of a hearing in a New Jersey courtroom on Rep. Andy Kim’s lawsuit to overturn that system. Hours before the hearing, the state’s attorney general said New Jersey’s longstanding way of putting names on the ballot — known informally as the “county line” — was unconstitutional.

“It’s spring in New Jersey,” said Sue Altman, a progressive candidate for Congress, one of several Democrats who filed into the courtroom. “I would say I think the people of New Jersey are ready for change.”

Murphy’s departure from the race put Kim in a strong position to win his party’s nomination for the seat, a must-have for Democrats in the closely divided U.S. Senate, but one Democrat feared it could come into play could be after Menendez was indicted on corruption charges last year. . Republicans are still expected to contest for the seat, but it’s more likely that Kim will avoid a nasty intraparty battle for the Democratic nomination.

“The tide has turned in New Jersey,” said Antoinette Miles, executive director of New Jersey Working Families, who was also at the hearing and has advocated for the elimination of the voting system. “I think the line is on its way.”

Kim’s lawsuit, which aims to challenge the state’s voting system — widely seen as favoring candidates with the support of party leaders — has been brought before U.S. District Court Judge Zahid Quraishi. The judge is considering whether to temporarily halt the state’s primary voting system, which lists party-backed candidates in a column in most counties and lists those without such an endorsement in what is commonly called “ballot Siberia.”

It is not clear when the judge will rule in the case, and he has given the parties time to respond to the news that Murphy has resigned.

This dynamic was expected to play a prominent role in the June 4 primary to succeed three-term Senator Menendez, in part because Tammy Murphy’s candidacy came with the support of political party chairs in major counties, which she got the impression that her name was becoming more known. prominently displayed. But Kim — better known until now as the meek members of Congress seen clearing trash from the Capitol after the Jan. 6 insurrection — tapped into years of frustration among progressives who chafe at the party bosses who decide who the nominees will be as he is nominated. sued to shut down the system.

Kim, who himself had the advantage in a number of counties, said that even though he is now the frontrunner in the Democratic primary, he is still pursuing his lawsuit because he believes the practice is unfair.

“This is not a system I want to participate in,” he said in a call with reporters on Sunday. “I think it’s unfair and that’s why I’m trying to change it.”

Faced with the prospect of a nail-biting fight, Murphy chose to bow out. Her intention, she said, was to keep the party together given the huge stakes in this year’s elections.

“It is clear to me that continuing this race will entail a very divisive and negative campaign, which I am not prepared to do,” she said in a video posted on social media on Sunday. “With Donald Trump in the mood and so much at stake for our nation, I will not in good conscience waste resources taking down a fellow Democrat.”

First-time candidate Tammy Murphy, who was a Republican until just before Phil Murphy’s first campaign for governor, had focused on gun control and women’s access to abortion as major issues. With few policy differences between them, Kim inflamed the party’s base over the provincial election issue and appeared to be gaining strength.

“Tammy Murphy is a smart woman,” said Brigid Harrison, a professor of political science at Montclair State University. “I’m assuming her ability to read the room meant she understood what was happening at a basic level.”

But even if the voting system is changed, the leaders of the political parties in the provinces will not be left without influence – for example, the ability to decide how to fill local jobs. And Kim’s push on ballot design could illuminate other efforts for broader political reform, said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.

“What happened with this particular race was just a perfect coincidence with a champion in Andy Kim getting out early,” he said. “The pressure has now become so great that they’re going to have to do something to release this, to give the progressives something they can claim as a victory and the provincial border might be that.”

The county line helped sustain New Jersey incumbents, including Menendez, for years.

He has pleaded not guilty to federal prosecutors’ charges that he accepted bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury vehicle in exchange for helping a businessman strike a lucrative meat certification deal with Egypt. A later indictment said he helped another associate close a deal with Qatar. His wife, who was also charged in the scheme, has pleaded not guilty, as have two of the three business partners. The third party has pleaded guilty and agreed to act as a witness in the case.

Menendez said last week that he will not run in the primary as a Democrat, but did not rule out seeking a fourth full term as an independent Democrat in November.

The GOP contest includes southern New Jersey businessman Curtis Bashaw, Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner and former TV news reporter Alex Zdan.