New Jersey gov’s wife, a US Senate candidate, opposes power plant that he could kill

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s First Lady Tammy Murphy, who is running for U.S. Senate, said Tuesday she opposes construction of a gas-fired backup power plant in a minority neighborhood already heavily burdened with pollution.

But she did not say whether she has discussed her view with the one person who could stop the project in its tracks — her husband, Gov. Phil Murphy.

And questioned by reporters afterward, she would not say whether she planned to try to lobby him to kill the proposal.

“I am not speaking for the governor,” she said. “I’m talking to other people about this. I’m not here to stand up and speak for the administration. That’s not my role here today. With all due respect, that’s the end of the conversation.”

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> A record-breaking January for New Jersey gambling, even as in-person casino winnings fall </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Bill would let Atlantic City casinos keep smoking with some more restrictions </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Ex-TV news reporter is running as a Republican for Bob Menendez’s Senate seat in New Jersey </bsp-custom-headline> </bsp-list-loadmore>

Tammy Murphy said she opposes construction of the backup power system at the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission in Newark’s Ironbound section.

The neighborhood is where her husband signed New Jersey’s environmental justice law in 2020 with great fanfare. The measure aims to ensure