Justin Murphy, a Navy veteran who entered Election Day with virtually no campaign resources, defeated the Republican establishment and better-funded MAGA and America First rivals to capture New Jersey’s GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.
Trenton, NJ – In one of the biggest political surprises of the night, Republican voters handed an unlikely victory to Justin Murphy, a little-known Navy veteran who ran a shoestring campaign and defeated candidates backed by party organizations and political insiders across New Jersey.
Murphy won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate with 79,996 votes, finishing ahead of Richard Tabor, the preferred candidate of several county Republican organizations, and conservative commentator Alex Zdan, who ran under the America First campaign slogan. The upset sends Murphy into a November matchup against Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.
Key Points
• Justin Murphy won the Republican Senate primary despite having virtually no campaign funds.
• Murphy defeated establishment-backed candidate Richard Tabor and conservative rival Alex Zdan.
• Ocean County was one of the few bright spots for Tabor, who carried the county by a wide margin.
The result represented a rejection of traditional political power centers that have long shaped Republican primary outcomes in New Jersey.
Murphy’s victory came despite lacking the financial resources, endorsements, and organizational support enjoyed by his opponents. While Tabor secured support from influential county Republican leaders and Zdan built a following among conservative activists, Murphy assembled a coalition of voters looking for an alternative to both camps.
Ocean County Bucks the Trend
One notable exception to Murphy’s statewide success was Ocean County, where Tabor won decisively with nearly 30,000 votes.
The Ocean County result provided one of the strongest performances for the establishment-backed candidate, but it ultimately was not enough to overcome Murphy’s victories elsewhere across the state.
For Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore, the outcome adds to a series of recent political setbacks. While Tabor carried Ocean County comfortably, the candidate supported by much of the party establishment failed to secure the statewide nomination.
Murphy Dominates Across Multiple Regions
Murphy assembled a geographically diverse coalition, winning counties including Burlington, Camden, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Mercer, Morris, Passaic and Union.
His strongest performance came in Gloucester County, where he captured more than 60 percent of the vote. He also posted convincing wins in Burlington and Camden counties, helping offset Tabor’s strength in Ocean and parts of Central Jersey.
Zdan, meanwhile, carried several traditionally conservative counties, including Monmouth, Sussex, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem, but was unable to expand beyond his core base.
Huge loss for the Lakewood VAAD
The results also represented a setback for the Lakewood Vaad and portions of Ocean County’s growing Orthodox Jewish political community. Republican candidate Robert S. Levovics entered the race with the largest fundraising advantage in the field, reporting more than $149,000 raised and approximately $34,000 cash on hand, yet finished a distant fourth with just over 10% of the vote. Levovics had received support from the Lakewood Vaad, while Richard Tabor was backed by several prominent Ocean County Republican figures and county party organizations. Despite those organizational advantages, neither candidate came close to securing the nomination.
The outcome marked another disappointing statewide primary result for the Ocean County Republican establishment. While Tabor carried Ocean County comfortably, Republican voters elsewhere in New Jersey rejected the county-backed candidate in favor of Murphy’s insurgent campaign. Once considered one of the most influential political organizations in New Jersey Republican politics, the Ocean County GOP has seen its influence challenged in several recent high-profile primary contests, including consecutive U.S. Senate nomination battles where its preferred candidates failed to secure the statewide nomination.
Long Odds Against Booker
Despite the primary victory, Murphy faces a difficult road in the general election.
Booker, who was unopposed for the Democratic nomination, remains one of the state’s best-known political figures and enters the race with significant fundraising advantages in a state that has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate in more than five decades.
Still, Murphy’s primary win demonstrated that New Jersey Republican voters were willing to defy expectations.
In a contest featuring party-backed candidates, organized political factions, and better-funded campaigns, the nominee ultimately emerged as the candidate with the smallest operation and the least institutional support—a result few political observers predicted when the race began.