Governor Phil Murphy, as he says, “grew up in a family that was middle class on a good day,” the youngest of four children with only one parent who graduated high school. His upbringing – where religion, a strong work ethic, education, and civic awareness were pillars of family life – shaped his values, his priorities, and the leader he is.
New Jersey has the shameful distinction of having the largest black-white incarceration gap of any state in the country. Governor Murphy will address this problem by bringing law enforcement and the community together, as he did when he brokered the first meeting between the head of the state PBA and the state chapter of the NAACP. He will end mass incarceration by pursuing the legalization of marijuana and comprehensively reviewing all criminal sentencing laws. Governor Murphy will also ensure that all of our communities are safe. That includes defending our immigrant communities that are being targeted by the federal government by ensuring that all New Jersey residents facing detention or deportation have access to legal representation. And he will also sign common-sense gun safety measures in order to stem the epidemic of gun violence that plagues our state.