Gov. Phil Murphy will give his seventh State of the State Address this Tuesday, Jan. 14, in the State House Assembly chamber in Trenton.
While this is Murphy’s second and final term as governor, political experts predict he will lay out a bold legislative agenda, a “to-do list” both to cement his legacy and remind lawmakers on both sides of the aisle that he’s still very much in charge.
“2025 is shaping up to be a busy year,” said Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University. “There’s a new administration in the White House, and it’s a big election year in the state, in which we’ll be picking Murphy’s successor and the entire Assembly is also up [for re-election].”
“So it’s going to be very easy for things to get lost in the shuffle, and a big, agenda-setting speech is one of the best opportunities to chart a course for the year,” said Rasmussen.
“Murphy is also likely to identify a few top priorities for the next 10-12 months,” Dr. Tina Zappile, Ph.D., Director of the Hughes Public Policy Center and Associate Professor of Political Science at Stockton University, added.
“Motivated by a tight race in 2021 and a 2024 swing towards Republicans in some parts of the state, Murphy may be more aggressive in laying out his final policy agenda.”
“This is especially true if any lingering items on his to-do list may not survive, or have a very different outcome, under new party leadership,” said Zappile. “Whatever Murphy wants to protect beyond this year will be at the top of this list.”
“Though this likely won’t be Murphy’s final State of the State address,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University and director of the FDU Poll.
He has one more.
Philip D. Murphy took the oath of office as New Jersey’s 56th Governor on Jan. 16, 2018, a week after former Republican Gov. Chris Christie gave his farewell State of the State address.
Former Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine did the same on Jan. 12, 2010, and Christie was sworn in one week later.
“Those speeches [in 2018 and 2010] were very much valedictory, talking about their accomplishments, but the equivalent Christie State of the State speech in 2017 was still very much setting a legislative agenda,” Cassino said.
So, one year from now, Murphy is saying goodbye to the State House, and his replacement is about to be sworn in. This is when we’ll truly hear Murphy ticking off his myriad achievements, according to experts.
“Governors have an opportunity to highlight their policy achievements and lay the groundwork for their legacy in their final State of the State speech,” Zappile said.
Pic 2 caption: Gov. Murphy will go before a joint New Jersey Legislature on Jan. 14 to give his State of the State Address.
Meanwhile, Murphy’s Tuesday speech will be more on what’s left to get done, say the pundits.
“Gov. Murphy will be like,’This is what I’m challenging the state Legislature to do.’ He’s really setting up the fight over the budget, and he’s laying out his marker,” said Cassino.“The key word is going to be ‘affordability.’ Democrats are terrified that they’re losing [voters] because they don’t have a good message on how to make the state more affordable. So they’re going to say the word ‘affordability’ approximately a million times.”
Cassino also expects Murphy to highlight higher education reform and the importance of working with the federal government as Republican President-Elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
“But make no mistake, cementing his legacy is on the governor’s mind,” said Zappile.
“Murphy has an opportunity to lay the groundwork for his signature programs and policies to continue long after he leaves office,” Zappile said.
According to Zappile, among them are Nurture NJ to improve maternal and infant health in the state, the rollout of state-funded pre-K programs, the Garden State Guarantee to increase access for low-income students to four-year higher education, the expansion of offshore wind, minimum wage increases to over $15/hour, and the ANCHOR property tax relief program.
Rasmussen said Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs executive, has his eyes clearly fixed on leaving New Jersey in a healthier financial state than when he took over in 2018.
“From my perspective, his legacy will be the improved condition of the pension system, credit rating increases, and the overall financial condition of the state,” said Rasmussen. “These seem to be what really matter to him.”
“It’s fair to say Governor Murphy will set a full agenda for his last year in office, because he knows it is his last chance to get done all that he set out to do and leave his lasting mark on the state,” said Rasmussen. “In other words, many of the core issues he has focused on for the past seven years.”
Murphy hinted in the press release dated Jan. 7 teasing the upcoming State of the State event.
“Over the past seven years, we have built a state that is stronger, fairer, and more prepared to face the future,” Murphy said. “But our job is far from over. As we begin our final year of partnership, we remain more committed than ever to delivering economic security and opportunity to every New Jerseyan.”
“And over the next 12 months we are going to run through the tape in making New Jersey the best state – anywhere in America – to live, work, and raise a family,” the governor said in the press release.
Murphy will take the stage at 3 p.m. on Tuesday to deliver his 2025 State of the State Address.
