WARREN COUNTY, NJ – New Jersey Governor Murphy blew off criticism by his 2021 election opponent who faulted the governor for missing a critical filing deadline that has caused a delay in vaccinations for senior citizens in New Jersey. A filing by the health department was one day late, resulting in a one-week federal backlog, said Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.
“I think you heard how we’re thinking about vaccines and the last thing we need are people who don’t know what they’re talking about from the cheap seats. I think Judy went through this in great detail,” Murphy said about Steinhardt’s criticism. “Again, this is not going to be a straight line. This is going to be, you have to accept it’s a little bit like we’ve been saying about the school year, it’s not a normal school year. This is not an easy, straight-line process. It is one of the most ambitious federal government initiatives ever undertaken. Folks have to understand that. We need our federal partners. They are going to be playing the existentially important role here but it is not a straight line.”
Steinhardt responded in kind to Murphy’s response.
“My seat may not be as expensive as Governor Phil Murphy’s, but the lives of our loved ones in New Jersey nursing homes are anything but cheap,” Steinhardt said. “We deserve accountability. Governor Murphy deflects.”
Since announcing his candidacy in the 2021 gubernatorial election, Steinhardt has come out of the gates swinging at Murphy, solidifying himself as the top contender in the race as his opponent Jack Ciattarelli continues to ride the double yellow lines in the middle of the road. Initially, the race appeared to be Ciattarelli versus Steinhardt, but it could turn into a conservative showdown between Steinhardt and former U.S. Senate candidate Hirsh Singh, who has also announced his campaign against Murphy.