Statement From NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt

NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt congratulates Governor Phil Murphy on his inauguration and urges New Jersey residents to be vigilant and hold the Governor accountable

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Trenton, NJ – On the day of the swearing in of New Jersey’s new Governor, Phil Murphy, NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt delivered an important message to the people of New Jersey:

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“New Jersey is our home and I serve as Chairman of the Republican Party here, because this is where I chose to raise my family,” said Steinhardt.  “I made that conscious choice twenty some years ago, because I wanted the same opportunities for my children that New Jersey offered my parents, grandparents, sister and me.  I want the best for my family, my community and our state, but those opportunities are fleeting.  New Jersey is already unaffordable for many.  I fear that my family, like so many others, will be forced to find opportunities for a better life in another state. That is why I am skeptical of the direction Phil Murphy wants to take New Jersey.  We are one of only eight states in the country whose entire statehouse is controlled by Democrats.  Our ability to check Phil Murphy’s radically liberal agenda from inside the system is on life support.  Now more than ever, New Jersey’s citizens must be vigilant.  They must keep close watch on the Murphy administration, and hold it accountable.  New Jersey’s taxpayers cannot afford to be the personal piggybank for his liberal policies.”

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Murphy campaigned on a liberal platform that some in the press compared to Bernie Sanders’.  He has already doubled down on many of his campaign promises, bucking some in his own caucus, by championing legalized marijuana, a $15 government mandated wage, higher income taxes, unprecedented, state-sponsored protections for illegal immigrants, and a $1.3 billion tax increase to pay for it all.

“I congratulate the Governor on his inauguration and wish him well.  I do.  Our State’s success is tied ultimately to his administration’s success, for the next four yours, at least,” Steinhardt continued.  However, even seasoned Democrats see the writing on the wall.  Former Democratic State Senator Ray Lesniak commented that, “Without a doubt, [Murphy] overpromised during the campaign.”  Steinhardt concluded by saying that, “Our system is one of checks and balances, and in a State that is now dominated by single-party rule, New Jersey’s 9 million residents are the final arbiter of Murphy’s efforts. Middle-class families are already at their breaking point under New Jersey’s heavy tax burden and, rather than offer relief, Phil Murphy is committed to adding additional weight to the bar.”

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