In full-blown campaign mode, Republican attorney Justin Murphy of Tabernacle, a proud son of the Jersey Pinelands, wants to win the GOP Primary and take on incumbent U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).

"Donald Trump came into New Jersey in 2024 and with one visit to Wildwood, took almost two million votes out of this state," Murphy told InsiderNJ. "We have to inspire those voters."

A conservative former local elected official and a military veteran, Murphy wants to energize New Jersey's Republican base. He is encouraged by the work of several new county party chairs. "I see them fighting pretty hard to make change in the culture," said the candidate, who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination for the United States Senate in 2024.

The candidate has a long history of public service and political activity.

Enlisting in the United States Navy at the age of 17, Murphy served a four-year term aboard the USS Comte De Grasse (DD 974), including six months during the Arabian/Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war. He was honorably discharged.

Elected to the Tabernacle Township Committee in Nov. 2000, he served a three-year term. Active in Republican politics since 1988, Murphy served as Vice-President of the Burlington County Young Republicans 1994-1997, Burlington County Co-Chair for Dole-Kemp ‘96, and on the County Committee 1996-2000. He served as President Tabernacle Republican Organization 1998-2000 and as a volunteer for Bret Schundler's Property Tax Reform Effort 2002-2005, and gubernatorial campaign 2005.

A practicing attorney since 2006, Murphy specializes in estate, real estate, contracts, energy consulting and EB-5 economic development.

"Being raised in the Pinelands of Southern New Jersey has been one of the greatest blessings of my life," he said.

For more details about the candidate and his campaign, please see below:

"I enthusiastically offer this written commitment to the people of New Jersey, with the intention to promote a clear understanding of my belief system, and where I stand on the issues. Therefore, I pledge the following:

OUR CAMPAIGN IS DEDICATED TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA’S MILITARY

1. Taxes.

Abolish the IRS and Internal Revenue Code and implement a Flat Income Tax.

I believe America needs a system of taxation that provides economic security for our middle-class, economic mobility for our working-poor, and reward for business and job creation. As citizens, our relationship with the federal government is defined by our system of taxation. When government takes excessive amounts of what we create, produce, and earn, that relationship is strained. I advocate abolishing the Internal Revenue Code and enacting a Flat-Tax rate of 10% - 12%, to promote the economic growth needed in coming decades as we face more potent global economic competition. I believe we should abolish the capital gains tax in its entirety, all estate and death taxes (when you leave this life, the IRS should not follow you), and the AMT.

2. Home ownership.

American families need to own their homes; if they do not, American’s are nothing more than serfs that pay rent to a landlord. Our Constitutional Republic will falter if only a few entities own the homes Americans live in. We are not free unless we are economically free; we are not economically free unless American’s own their homes. Home ownership will provide Americans with economic freedom,
economic security, and the creation of family wealth by passing down to generations the value of a home and real property; home ownership gives Americans a piece of the economic pie. The best homeownership policy is a gainfully employed middle-class, and low interest rates.

3. Education and Parental Rights.

Parental Rights are the civil rights issues of our time. Given the attempt by the left to sexualize children through public school curriculum, the Republican Party has an extraordinary opportunity to establish itself as the ‘Party-of-Parents.’ Parents control their children’s education – there is no co-parenting arrangement between government and parents, period. I am pro education; we have no future without a vibrant public education system. I believe in school choice for parents and competition between all schools as a way to strengthen our education system. Competition works, and has made the American economy the most successful known to human civilization. I advocate the complete abolition of the Federal Department of Education, and that their annual budget of approximately 100-billion dollars be equally divided among each individual local school board for public education funding and school voucher programs. This would inject billions-of-dollars directly into public education for each state. This would provide a real solution for New Jersey’s problem of over-reliance on property taxes to fund public education.

4. National Security.

America’s military should remain second-to-none. As we were made painfully aware on October 7th, 2023, radical Islamic terrorism is still a threat to civilized nations. America faces an array of hostile foreign threats: Communist government of China, Iran, and North Korea. Civilization as we know it is being threatened by terrorists and communist dictators that share the objective of knocking off America as the World’s Super Power. America’s military should have the capacity to fight and win two wars simultaneously. All elements of political correctness and DEI should be removed from America’s Military.

5. Immigration.

Legal immigration and assimilation by immigrants has been a Blessing for America. Thankfully, President Trump has secured America’s southern border. There was no greater crisis threatening America than the Biden administration’s open border policies. Americans’ want our borders secured. I believe we should conclude construction of the southern border wall started by the Trump Administration. I also believe in securing our northern border with Canada, and drastically reforming our VISA system to be able to track VISA holders including students. I believe in withholding federal aid to cities and states that declare themselves ‘sanctuary for illegal aliens’. I support section 287 (g) of the INA (Immigration & Nationality Act) to permit state and local law enforcement involvement in immigration enforcement. Given
the Biden Administration’s border policy resulted in drug cartels controlling the southern border with Mexico, I believe we need to station the U.S. Military on our border to regain control, and remain in control.

6. Pro-Life policies.

I am pro-life; I believe life begins at conception, and there is inherent value in each individual life. My exceptions are the life of the mother, and the rape/incest exceptions. I believe our government should promote a culture that values innocent human life. I oppose tax dollars funding abortion. I support parental notification, the ban on partial birth abortion, and pro adoption policies.

7. Crime.

American cities should be centers of vibrant commerce, culture, and social life. However, Urban America is deteriorating with business and citizen flight, crime, homelessness, drugs, and filth. Urban residents are experiencing a declining quality of life. Sanctuary cities serve as a magnet for illegal aliens and criminal activity. The crime issue is complex, however, we can make great strides in reducing crime and violence afflicting American cities: Secure our border; stop the flow of fentanyl; deport criminal aliens; bring federal charges against criminals when state and local prosecutors fail to enforce criminal codes.

8. Health Care-Medical Freedom.

I agree with those who want universal health coverage for Americans, however, I adamantly oppose government-run healthcare and government mandates. I believe the principles of privacy, quality, accessibility, and affordability should be the basis for any healthcare policy. I will advocate for legislation that prioritizes Medical Freedom and ensures individuals, parents, and families make healthcare and medical decisions free from government mandate and coercion: Ensures every American owns a Health Savings Account - these health care tools are portable, not employer owned, private, and can be left to the owners’ heirs as a way of insuring family members. Promotes Competition – allow all Americans to purchase health insurance from any insurance company in the country, creating a national insurance market. Currently Americans’ and their employers are constrained by having access only to insurers in their home states. We need competition nationally. Competition raises quality and reduces costs. Seriously Combats Waste, Fraud, and Abuse – It is estimated that Medicare and Medicaid are afflicted with approximately 100-billion dollars a year in Fraud and waste.

This astronomical amount of money siphoned from our health care system is unconscionable. We need to create a special Medicare & Medicaid Fraud Unit, provide substantial financial rewards for information leading to a Fraud conviction, and enact severe penalties for abuse of the system. All dollars recouped from fraud and waste should be recycled into the Social Security and Medicare systems to keep those programs solvent.

9. Advocacy for Second Amendment Rights.

I will oppose any attempt by the government that threatens to take away our Constitutional right to bear arms and protect ourselves, our families, and our property. I will oppose all attempts to suppress 2A rights whether from domestic or international bodies. I support Constitutional Carry.

10. Energy independence.

Our priority should be development of the almost limitless sources of energy known to be located here in America. America has in shale oil three times the amount of proven oil reserves in Saudi Arabia. Trillions of dollars of assets could be added to our economy. Tens-of-thousands of union blue-collar jobs can be created if America increases domestic energy production. I want to create wealth for our economy, and create these jobs so our middle class has the economic opportunity and security they deserve. We need to safely extract these resources. If development of domestic energy sources cannot be accomplished in an environmentally responsible manner, I will not support development of that project. I strongly support the expansion of nuclear power in the U.S.

11. Advocacy for fiscal discipline.

DOGE should become a permanent federal endeavor. I also support a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Statement

As I was honored to do in 2024, I dedicate this campaign to the men and women of our armed forces. I believe the American Military is the greatest force for good in this world, save religious institutions. God Bless America’s heroes; the sacrifices they make are too numerous to mention; we need to continue to honor and remember them and their family members who sacrifice so much for America.

I have a two-word answer as to why I am running for U.S. Senate: I care. I care that we are a secure and prosperous nation. I care about our country’s culture, parental rights, healthcare system, and economic opportunity for all Americans.

As a U.S. Senator, I want to ensure the NJ Pinelands (my home) are kept pristine, the Jersey Shore kept pollution and windmill free; Parental Rights become a national priority, and our seniors with the best Medicare program available. I will convey my Conservative principles with confidence, energy, and optimism. The last time New Jersey elected a Republican to the US Senate was 1972; my campaign represents a new day in New Jersey politics.

Being self-employed, I can identify with middle-class voters. I know firsthand financial struggle, debt, and stress. I know the long hours and countless weeks without a paycheck that many small business owners experience as a normal part of their working adult lives. Small business owners will have no better friend in Washington.

I am asking you to place an extraordinary amount of trust in me to be your voice in Washington. I run with the belief that America is the most Blessed gift God gave our world. We are a nation facing numerous threats – radical Islamic terrorism, crime, a culture war, and hostile foreign governments. The federal government spends trillions of dollars every year; we need clarity and vision on how this money is spent. If nominated and elected, I will hang a copy of my Senate Pledge, in my D.C. office. Public service is what motivates a 21st Century American Senator.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Political Science; Rowan University (Rowan College of NJ)
Juris Doctor; Law Degree from Widener University School of Law, Wilmington, DE.
Masters of Arts (not concluded); Villanova University-Political Science
LL.M.; University of Oklahoma School of Law – Energy and Natural Resources

Author

“The Silent Crisis – How Judicial Activism Denigrates America’s Constitutional
Republic”. Published February 2021.