Gov. Murphy has made a decision on whether he’ll be a national Democratic Party leader

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy won’t seek to become the next leader of the national Democratic Party after reports listing him as a contender, NJ Advance Media has learned.
Anonymous sources in multiple reports this past week have flagged Murphy as a potential successor to Jaime Harrison as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Harrison is not expected to seek a second term, and the party will pick a new leader early next year as it aims to move forward from its losses in last week’s election.
Three Murphy allies confirmed to NJ Advance Media that Murphy had been in the mix, with national Democrats reaching out to gauge his interested the job.
But the sources all said Thursday that Murphy is not interested. One source said Murphy is “fully focused” on his last year as governor. Murphy’s second and final term is up in January 2026. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the matter.
Politico reported the same Thursday, citing anonymous Murphy allies.
Murphy previously served as finance chair of the DNC from 2006-08 and is known as a prolific fundraiser and donor. Sources noted some Democrats saw that as a useful trait for a national party leader, while also pointing to Murphy’s positive poll numbers in New Jersey — even though he won re-election in 2021 by a closer-than-expected margin of about 3 percentage points.
Several other candidates for DNC chair have been floated, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, former Georgia state lawmaker Stacey Abrams, Minnesota Democratic Party leader Ken Martin, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, and former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas, U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler of California, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, Wisconsin Democratic Party leader Ben Wikler, former White House infrastructure czar Mitch Landrieu, and former U.S. Rep. Max Rose of New York.
Whoever wins the job will help oversee how the party recovers after Vice President Kamala Harris lost to former President Donald Trump last week and Republicans won back the U.S. Senate and held on to the House. That includes counter-messaging against a second Trump presidency and managing what will likely be a crowded and tense primary for the next Democratic presidential nominee, in 2028.
Meanwhile, sources have said Murphy has long eyed becoming U.S. ambassador to Italy as his governorship winds down. Murphy, a former U.S. ambassador to Germany, owns a villa in Italy and his family often vacations there.
On the surface, that chance appeared to evaporate when Harris fell to Trump.
But there have been speculation Trump could still offer Murphy the post in a show of bipartisanship. Or maybe extend it to his wife, First Lady Tammy Murphy, a former registered Republican.
While Gov. Murphy has often criticized Trump, the two have collaborated on COVID-19 response and the Gateway Tunnel project. Murphy also visited Trump at his Bedminster golf club after the assassination attempt on the former president in June. Meanwhile, a photo of the Murphys posing last year at a Middletown restaurant with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump surfaced during Tammy Murphy’s now-defunct U.S. Senate campaign this spring.
In addition, Gov. Murphy said during a radio interview Wednesday that Trump called him Monday and that he plans to attend Trump’s inauguration in January. Murphy has said the state will “fight like hell” against policies from Trump that clash with New Jersey but also work together on “common ground” issues.
Two Murphy allies downplayed the possibility of the the governor getting the Italy ambassadorship. One called it “rumors and speculation.” Another said it’s “not impossible” Tammy Murphy could be offered the job but stressed the governor’s next role is unclear.
“I don’t think he knows what he’s gonna do next,” the source told NJ Advance Media.
Another Democratic insider said Murphy’s name even being mentioned as a potential DNC chair “makes it harder to get anything from Trump.”
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Brent Johnson may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @johnsb01.