Grassroots groups protest likely party backing for Murphy, call for no lines in Senate primary

The Fair Vote Alliance, a group of 26 grassroots liberal and progressive organizations, groups, and clubs from across New Jersey, have signed on to a statement protesting the likely support of key county Democratic organizations for First Lady Tammy Murphy for U.S. Senate, and calling for an open primary without organization lines.

“We are offended that the corruption from Senator Menendez, who is under indictment and who has still refused to resign, is going to be replaced with nepotism.  We are the backbone of the Democratic party, and we will not work for a process that subverts democracy,” the Fair Vote Alliance said.   “Let’s be clear, if her name was Tammy Johnson, we would not be having this conversation.  It is because Tammy Murphy is married to the Governor.”

The alliance includes Action Together New Jersey, NJ 11th for Change, SOMA Action, Our Revolution NJ, and the Good Government Coalition of New Jersey.

“It’s a done deal, except that Democratic voters don’t know it yet,” the statement said.  “The effect of this is immense, and that’s why the race has been called already.”

The alliance notes that former Gov. Richard J. Codey endorsed Murphy before she’d formally entered the race – something she did this morning – and Democratic powerbroker George Norcross is also likely to back her candidacy.

Still, SOMA Action voted last month to endorse Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) for Senate, more than two weeks before Murphy launched her campaign.

“We are the ones who do the voter outreach when the party asks. We write the postcards, we mobilize the volunteers to get out the vote, and we knock on doors on Election Day — even in the rain,” the Fair Vote Alliance said in their statement.  “We stand against anti-democratic actions that dampen voter turnout and lead to noncompetitive and unfair primary elections.”

Some members of the alliance have limited reach, like Lizzie Foley’s Fridays with Frelinghuysen, a Facebook group that hasn’t been updated since February 2017 and appears to have been folded into NJ 11th for Change nearly seven years ago.

Alliance members include the South Jersey National Organization of Women, Mahwah Huddle, The Visibility Brigade, Represent.Us New Jersey,  People Demanding Action, the Democratic Club of Waretown, Lawrence Citizens Activists, Glen Rock After the March, SWEEP New Jersey, and Hackettstown Drinking Liberally.