Phil Murphy

Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American politician, financier, and former diplomat who served from 2018 to 2026 as the 56th governor of New Jersey. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2017 and narrowly reelected in 2021. From 2009 to 2013, Murphy was the U . ambassador to Germany. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Murphy has degrees from Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. He had a 23-year career at Goldman Sachs, where he held several high-level positions and accumulated considerable wealth before retiring in 2006. He then became active in politics. He was finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee in the mid-late 2000s under Howard Dean. While planning to run for governor of New Jersey, Murphy and his wife Tammy Murphy launched New Start New Jersey, a progressive organization. He defeated Republican, then-Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, in the 2017 gubernatorial election with 56% of the vote. Murphy was reelected in an unexpectedly close race with 51 % of the vote. He is the first Democratic governor of New Jersey to win a second term since Brendan Byrne in 1977. During Murphy's first term as governor, he signed legislation to legalize cannabis and sports betting and enact automatic voter registration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he implemented various health measures. During Murphy's second term, his wife Tammy unsuccessfully sought to fill the Senate seat vacated by Bob Menendez. He was succeeded by fellow Democrat Mikie Sherrill.