The Andy Kim campaign is calling out Tammy Murphy for not debating prior to the start of voting in the race for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination: the Monmouth County Democratic convention that will award the organization line on February 10.
The first debate between Kim and Muphy is set for February 18. The original invitation proposed February 4 for the debate; Kim accepted and Murphy did not.
“It’s no surprise that the First Lady rejected a chance to have a real debate before the first convention in Monmouth County takes place because her campaign is not about regular voters; it’s about party bosses and backroom deals,” said Katey Sabo, a spokesperson for Kim. “Tammy Murphy should come before Democratic voters and explain why she donated to Republican candidates, why she voted in Republican primaries through Obama’s presidency, and why she is engaging in pressure tactics to put a thumb on the scale of this election.”
Kim will participate alone in a February 4 livestream to answer questions about his candidacy.
The February 18 debate, which comes one week before the Hunterdon County Democratic convention, will be the first faceoff between Kim and Murphy. It is sponsored by the New Jersey Globe, On New Jersey, and the Rebovich Institute of New Jersey Politics at Rider University.
The three-term incumbent, Bob Menendez, has been invited to participate if he announces his candidacy by February 11.