Mahen Gunaratna Archives - New Jersey Globe

Gunaratna joins MWW

February 17, 2026 10:13 amFebruary 17, 2026 1:04 pm

Mahen Gunaratna, who spent most of the last eight years as Gov. Phil Murphy’s communications director, has joined MikeWorldWide (MWW) as executive vice president of public affairs. MWW has had a longtime presence in New Jersey as one of the...

Murphy launches final nominations push as time dwindles

December 12, 2025 1:05 pmJanuary 29, 2026 4:10 pm

On Monday, the state Senate’s Judiciary Committee will meet and conduct its part of a time-honored tradition: the last-minute slew of nominations from an outgoing governor. Governors-elect, hoping to keep open as many options as possible, resent the notion that...

Gunaratna will leave Murphy staff to take a top post at national gun safety group

April 13, 2022 10:17 amApril 13, 2022 4:03 pm

Mahen Gunaratna, an architect of Gov. Phil Murphy’s communications strategy to take his messaging directly to New Jerseyans during a global pandemic, is leaving the administration on June 1 to take a top post at one of the nation’s largest...

Governor tests positive for Covid

March 31, 2022 4:33 pm

Gov. Phil Murphy has tested positive for Covid, the governor’s office announced today, marking the first confirmed time in the more than two-year-long pandemic that Murphy has contracted the virus. “This afternoon, as part of a regularly-scheduled testing regime, Governor...

Murphy announces promotions, hires on communications staff

February 25, 2022 12:42 pmFebruary 25, 2022 1:12 pm

Gov. Phil Murphy announced a series of staff moves on his communications team following the departure of Dan Bryan from the governor’s office today, including the promotion of Alex Altman to deputy communications director. Also moving up are Megan Coyne,...

COVID exposure could upend governor’s last-minute campaign blitz

October 21, 2020 2:30 pm

Gov. Phil Murphy’s Saturday exposure to COVID-19 from a senior staffer who tested positive for the virus is likely to upend a typically heavy campaign schedule in the final days the election, though the disruption may end up being relatively...

Murphy won’t say if he’s concerned technical problems will disenfranchise primary voters

July 1, 2020 5:39 pm

Amid election officials’ mounting concerns about technical problems and U.S. Postal Service delays, Gov. Phil Murphy declined to say whether he believed persistent technical problems would disenfranchise some voters ahead of the state’s July primaries. “I would say, on the...