One indicator of just how serious a candidate Phil Murphy is for the vice presidency could come as early as Friday, when the two-term governor is expected to leave the country for a family vacation.
If Murphy leaves as scheduled, it could signal that he’s not being seriously considered by the likely Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris. With the Democratic National Convention set to begin in four weeks, Harris has a limited window to conduct an exhaustive examination of potential running mates.
For a governor who famously protects his vacation schedule, a delayed departure could be interpreted as confirmation that Murphy is being vetted for the post.
Sources close to Murphy told the New Jersey Globe on Sunday that he received calls from some national Democratic leaders to discuss the vice presidency.
Murphy endorsed Harris on Sunday evening, and the New Jersey convention delegates will meet on Monday evening with the objective of producing a show of support for Harris.
Among the leading potential Veep contenders being mentioned are North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
Kelly and Shapiro have New Jersey ties. Kelly grew up in West Orange, and Shapiro began his political career as an aide to U.S. Senator Bob Torricelli.
New Jersey Democratic State Chairman LeRoy Jones asked Harris to consider Cory Booker, a U.S. Senator from New Jersey, as her running mate.
President Joe Biden endorsed Harris as his successor in a statement yesterday announcing his withdrawal from the race. National Democrats quickly rallied behind Harris, who is unopposed for the nomination so far.
Murphy has faced unexpected interruptions in his vacation schedule before. Last summer, he was at his home in Italy when Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver died. Two days later, he returned to New Jersey to pay his respects to the Oliver family, then went back to Italy, and then came back to New Jersey for Oliver’s funeral five days later.
Also looming large on Murphy’s vacation schedule is the possibility that Bob Menendez, convicted last week on federal corruption charges, could resign his seat in the U.S. Senate. Murphy cannot appoint a new senator remotely and would need to return home to do so; with the Democrats’ tenuous majority, Murphy would be under some pressure to move quickly.
In 2016, a Bipartisan Policy Center working group that included the attorneys who managed the vice presidential selection process for Barack Obama and John McCain said campaigns should “allocate at minimum eight weeks for the core vetting and selection process.”
“The presidential nominee should know or get to know personally the potential vice presidential nominees before making the selection. Campaigns should also consider and account for this in their timetable. It is not enough to do a thorough vetting or to rely on the opinions of others,” the report stated. “Presidential candidates who do not already know the small circle of final candidates for vice president will have to spend adequate time campaigning with them and getting to know them personally.”
The McCain campaign was widely criticized for a rushed vetting process that led to the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in 2008.
While Murphy is out of the country, Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way will serve as acting governor. Sources close to Murphy turned down a request by Way to attend the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month. With Senate President Nicholas Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin serving as convention delegates, if Way leaves the state, Attorney General Matt Platkin is next in the gubernatorial line of succession and would be the acting governor.
Murphy is term-limited and is set to leave office in January 2026. He had been widely expected to run for president had Biden initially declined to seek a second term.