Primary season for New Jersey’s U.S. Senate race ratcheted up on Sunday night, as the two leading candidates for the Democratic nomination used their first debate to go after each other’s qualifications.
Tammy Murphy, the first lady of New Jersey, and U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D-3rd) went head to head in a debate hosted by New Jersey Globe and held at Rider University. The two Democrats have largely shared most major policy positions, but there were some flashpoints around each other’s political backgrounds and votes.
Kim criticized Murphy for her inherent political advantages as the governor’s wife and questioned her party loyalty by noting her past as a registered Republican. Murphy, meanwhile, tried to raise concerns about Kim’s own party loyalty by highlighting his past votes with the Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
NJ Spotlight News spoke with Republican strategist Chris Russell to hear his thoughts on the debate.
