The Iron Workers union has endorsed Tammy Murphy for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, demonstrating that political tensions between Gov. Phil Murphy and then-Senate President Steve Sweeney are part of the past.
“Tammy has long been a champion for our labor brothers and sisters and New Jersey’s hardworking families,” said Sweeney, the general vice president of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Ironworkers. “Tammy’s leadership on the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy has ensured that good-paying union jobs are at the forefront of our state’s burgeoning clean energy economy.”
Sweeney, a candidate for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2025, made his endorsement in his capacity as the third-ranking member of the Ironworkers international union.
He lauded Murphy for her work as an “advocate for our healthcare workers through her nation-leading work on maternal and infant health.”
“Tammy will be a leader in the fight to ensure fair wages, safe working conditions, and good benefits for our union families in the U.S. Senate,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney’s labor endorsement is the latest show of strength for Murphy in South Jersey, where her opponent, Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), has been a congressman since 2019. She has the backing of Democratic powerbroker George Norcross, Rep. Donald Norcross (D-Camden), and Democratic county chairs in Camden and Gloucester counties.
Murphy has also secured the backing of the Eastern Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters, which is closely allied to the South Jersey Democratic machine.
“Our nation’s unions are the cornerstone of a strong economy and thriving middle class, and I am so honored to earn the endorsement of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Iron Workers,” Murphy stated. “Together with our union partners, we have made real progress to make New Jersey the best place in which to live, work, and raise a family. In the Senate, I vow to be a staunch advocate for all of our labor sisters and brothers and will fight tirelessly for our hardworking union families.”
See here for a full list of endorsements in New Jersey’s 2024 congressional contests.