Could Tammy Murphy be the next governor of New Jersey? Poll says she has name recognition

TRENTON, NJ – The last female governor in New Jersey was Christine Todd Whitman, a Republican who served from 1994 to 2001, but a new Farleigh Dickinson poll this week shows she’s the Democrat with the most name recognition in New Jersey.

Tammy Murphy, the wife of current Governor Phil Murphy, has not announced she is running, but the polls show that she would have a good chance if she did.

“While the 2025 gubernatorial election in New Jersey is still more than two years away, candidates for the Republican and Democratic nomination have already begun to jockey for position,” Dan Cassino, Executive Director at FDU Poll said. “According to the latest results from the FDU Poll, 11^th District Congresswoman Mikie Sherill, First Lady Tammy Murphy and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka have the highest favorability ratings among Democrats, and 2021 Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli and talk show host Bill Spadea have early advantages in the Republican race.”

Among Democrats, Tammy Murphy has the highest name recognition (73 percent), with former state senator Steve Sweeney, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver and Democrat Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill in the second tier.

Cassino said popularity alone won’t win the election if the First Lady decides to run for office after her husband’s second term is up.

“Of course, name recognition isn’t everything: more important, perhaps, is the percent of party members with favorable and unfavorable views of a potential candidate. By this measure, Congresswoman Sherill has a narrow lead over other contenders,” the FDU reported said. “Only 41 percent of Democrats say that they recognize her, but 28% of Democrats statewide have a favorable view of the third term Member of the House, and only one percent have a negative view of her. In contrast, 73 percent of Democrats have heard of First Lady Murphy, but just 27 percent report a favorable view, and 43 percent don’t have an opinion.”

The reality is that with two years to go before the race, the front runners rarely win because they face the intense spotlight of scrutiny longer than last-minute surprise candidates.