Murphy inauguration: What to expect Tuesday
Dustin Racioppi
Tuesday brings a changing of the guard in Trenton, and with it, a leftward shift for New Jersey. Democrat Phil Murphy, who said he wants to make New Jersey the California of the East Coast, takes the oath of office to replace Republican Chris Christie after eight years. This is everything you need to know, and what to expect, for the inauguration.
Service, then Swearing-in
Murphy plans to attend an inaugural prayer service at 9:30 a.m. at Trenton's Shiloh Baptist Church. The swearing-in ceremony, at the Trenton War Memorial's Patriots Theatre, is scheduled to begin at 11. He takes the oath at noon.
Murphy will celebrate with an inaugural ball from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at MetLife Stadium.
Who is he?
Murphy, 60, will come to office with deep roots in the Democratic Party but little name recognition with the public. A native of Massachusetts, Murphy moved to New Jersey during his career at Goldman Sachs. He lives on a riverfront estate in Middletown, Monmouth County, near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musicians Jon Bon Jovi and Max Weinberg.
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After spending two decades on Wall Street, Murphy was named by President Barack Obama the U.S. ambassador to Germany. Not long after his term ended, in 2013, Murphy began laying the groundwork for his gubernatorial campaign and officially declared his candidacy in May 2016, months ahead of anyone else to try getting a head start on his two better-known expected competitors.
Murphy was able to clear the competition and sank more than $20 million from his own pocket into the Democratic primary. He then handily defeated his Republican challenger, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, in November's general election.
What's next
Murphy has not offered a specific 100-day plan, but he has made a lot of promises, including $15 minimum wage, a tax hike on high earners, legalization of recreational marijuana and the creation of the country's second state-run bank.
Murphy could begin work right away. It's customary for new governors to issue executive orders their first full day in office. For example, Christie issued eight executive orders on Jan. 20, 2010, the day after he was sworn in. His orders included a spending freeze for 90 days on all proposed rules and regulations and to create a red tape review group.
Murphy has spoke vaguely about his first orders of business, saying that his first 100 days will include "a heavy dose of economic" plans "and standing for the right things again."