NJ Gov. Murphy: All this obsession over the 'county line' was a 'lost opportunity' for Democrats

Since the last time New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was on WNYC's air, his household suffered a rough setback. So did New Jersey's political elite.

First Lady Tammy Murphy dropped her bid to become New Jersey's next U.S. senator. Days later, a judge said Democrats can't use the "county line" ballot system the state's powerful party organizations have used for a century to sway elections ... and expected would help Tammy Murphy secure an easy primary race win.

On the April 10 edition of "Ask Governor Murphy" on WNYC, the governor defended the ballot system as one that's worked to help less-informed voters choose candidates — but also said it's only a "a tactical element that’s been mistaken for the broad strategy for who we are as a Democratic Party."

He argued New Jersey's powerful Democratic party organizations help find and promote strong candidates. And he lamented how the First Lady's race against Rep. Andy Kim (now the clear frontrunner for the Senate seat) became a proxy battle over the county line.

"It completely crowded out the policy discussions that as a party we need to have, that as a country we need to have" on issues including border policy, the Israel-Gaza conflict and Medicare for All, he said. "That's a huge lost opportunity."

We want to know what you would Ask Governor Murphy for the next installment of our call-in show. Tell us using this form, or tweet with #AskGovMurphy during the show. 

Upcoming episodes: Ask Governor Murphy airs the second Wednesday of most months at 7 p.m., dependent on schedule availability. Murphy returns to WNYC Wednesday, May 8.