With just over three weeks to go until the general election, township Democrats got a boost Oct. 12 by a visit from their gubernatorial candidate. Phil Murphy, the former ambassador and now the state Democrat's hope to retake the governor's office, showed up at a fundraiser for the Democrats' 17th Legislative District candidates, state Sen. Bob Smith and state Assemblymen Joe Egan and Joe Danielsen. The event, held at The Imperia on Easton Avenue, drew party faithful from Middlesex and Somerset counties. In his roughly 10-minute address, Murphy told the crowd that Democrats need big wins in November. "Getting as many like-minded brothers and sisters across the goal line is the name of the game because this state is a mess," he said. "No matter how talented any of us is, we’re going to need as many like-minded souls with us because we’re going to have to spend political capital to get this place fixed. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment." Murphy said that his opponent, Republican Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, offered voters "basically four more years of the same old same old, the failed Chris Christie playbook." "These folks have taken care of their cronies just fine, and they’ve gutted the middle class, they’ve ravaged the middle class," he said. "(Gov. Chris) Christie and Guadagno were Trump before Trump was Trump," he said. Murphy said that as governor, he wants to make New Jersey "once again known as the state that people look up to, have us up on the pedestal." Murphy said that he would "fund Planned Parenthood, sign sensible gun safety laws while respecting the Second Amendment, do something about climate change. We’ll be inclusive in our leadership." Referring to the 17th Legislative District candidates, Murphy said, "I want with your help and the help of these guys to be the state where folks say it’s compelling again. That once again we’re the state where people say you know what, you have to look at New Jersey, there’s something going on there.People will see our progress and will see themselves in it." Smith recounted the three major accomplishments of the 17th District Democrats, including helping to secure a $45 million tax break for the new New Brunswick Cultural Center, a $50 million commitment from the state's Transportation Trust Fund for a train station in North Brunswick, and an unsuccessful attempt to get corporate tax money earmarked for preserving open space, farmland preservation and historic preservation. Speaking of township native Danielsen, Smith said he is the "king of volunteer services." Saying that the state is "making it harder" for people to volunteer, Smith said Danielsen has "been the leader in trying to turn that around and give our volunteers the opportunity to volunteer." Danielsen predicted a major Democratic win in November. "We're going to embarrass them," he said. "It's going to be glorious days ahead of us." Speaking of Murphy, Danielsen he is the "right man for the right job." "We need this state cleaned up, we need to get back to business," he said.
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