Justin Murphy wins 33% primary, becomes Justin Murphy Republican Nominee Nj
Justin Murphy Republican Nominee Nj after winning the New Jersey Republican Senate primary with about 33% of the vote in a four-way race. He will face Sen. Cory Booker in November, setting up a general-election contest in a state where Republicans remain far behind in voter registration and have not elected a senator since 1972.
Murphy’s four-way win
Murphy defeated surgeon Robert Lebovics, Army veteran Richard Tabor and former TV reporter Alex Zdan to secure the Republican nomination. He had also run unsuccessfully for the 2024 New Jersey GOP Senate nomination, then returned this cycle as a former Tabernacle township committee member with a narrower but winning plurality.
His campaign website said, “As I was honored to do in 2024, I dedicate this campaign to the men and women of our armed forces.” It also said, “I believe the American Military is the greatest force for good in our world, save religious institutions.” Murphy’s campaign emphasized culture, parental rights, healthcare system and economic opportunity for all Americans, and it opposed the legalization of marijuana and other drugs.
Booker’s re-election bid
Booker ran unopposed in the Democratic Senate primary and is seeking a third term representing New Jersey in the Senate. He won his 2020 re-election race by about 17 percentage points, and the November matchup now pairs him with a nominee from a party that has not elected a U.S. senator from New Jersey since 1972.
The Cook Political Report rates Booker’s seat solid Democratic. New Jersey voters backed Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race and supported Democrat Mikie Sherrill over Republican Jack Ciattarelli in the 2025 gubernatorial contest, while about 38% of registered voters in the state are Democrats, about 25% are Republicans and about 36% are unaffiliated.
Murphy and November
Murphy has said he backs aggressive deportation of criminal migrants, believes China is the most serious threat facing the country and supports President Trump’s efforts to boost domestic energy production. The practical result of his primary win is a party-line fall campaign against an incumbent who has already won statewide and a race that begins with the electoral map favoring Booker.
