MURPH MANIA
‘A great new beginning for New Jersey,’ politicians say at Gov. Phil Murphy’s Inauguration >>
TRENTON » Gov. Phil Murphy started his Inauguration Day off at the celebrated Shiloh Baptist Church in the capital city for a prayer service.
One of the church’s parishioners, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12), welcomed the sight of a new governor in New Jersey.
“It’s a great new beginning for New Jersey,” said Watson Coleman, the state’s first female African-American elected to Congress. “This is a governor who believes in the diversity of New Jersey, the strength of New Jersey, and the hopefulness. So I think that all of the people of New Jersey will be represented by this administration.”
Watson Coleman had called for Murphy’s predecessor, Gov. Chris Christie, to resign in the wake of the Bridgegate controversy.
Needless to say, she’s happy to see the Republican governor out of office.
“He’s been the worst governor we’ve had so I’m glad he’s gone, of course,” Watson Coleman said. “Now, New Jersey has to recover and they’ll be tough decisions. But we’ve got an administration that’s ready.”
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer/Hunterdon) also took a jab at the departing governor.
“It’s a great day for New Jersey — somebody who’s not concentrating on running for president or a job in the Trump administration,” Gusciora said. “Unfortunately, Gov. Murphy’s plate is going to be full as soon as he gets sworn in. We’re all going to have to pull together and work to solve particularly New Jersey’s fiscal problems. It’s a great opportunity to work on a bipartisan basis for real change in New Jersey.”
Elected members from the state, city and county took in the ceremony, including Assemblywoman Liz Muoio (D-Mercer/ Hunterdon), who Murphy nominated to become the state’s next treasurer.
“I’m sad to be giving up my Assembly seat because I loved representing the 15th district,” the outgoing state legislator said. “But I’m excited. It’s an exciting challenge. The governor really wants to turn the fiscal ship around here of this state and I’m excited to be part of it because I know how important the budget is. We’re just going to have to hit the ground hitting because we’ve got to get a budget ready and introduced.”
Former New Jersey Governors Jon Corzine and Jim McGreevey, who were both Democrats, were also in attendance at the church.
“It’s a great day,” McGreevey said. “It’s a celebration of our democracy and particularly celebrating this morning’s service at Shiloh is a long and storied tradition in New Jersey. We offer our prayers and give thanks for our state, and for governor and for God willing the ability to bring us all together to move our state forward.”
Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes see opportunity for the Trenton region with Christie leaving office.
“I think we’re going to see great things headed for the City of Trenton and for New Jersey,” said Hughes, whose father, Richard J. Hughes, was once the state’s governor. “I’d like to see some more construction being done downtown, some more extraordinary aid being given to the city after it was cut back so drastically under Christie, more hands-on involvement, and our hotel back up to par and a commitment on the governor and the governments to have some of these lobbyists use our hotel, rather than going out all across the state using places all over.”
Clergy from all different faiths read prayers during the service. The Shiloh Baptist Choir also brought the crowd to its feet, singing two powerful songs that got Murphy, his wife, Tammy, and their children moving.