State Sen. Mike Testa (R-Vineland) indicated Thursday that he has no hesitation in supporting Republican U.S. Senate nominee Justin Murphy, despite backing a different candidate in the June primary.
Murphy, a former deputy mayor of Tabernacle, captured the Republican nomination with 33% of the vote in a four-way contest.
The race marked Murphy’s second bid for the Senate. In 2024, he sought the Republican nomination but lost to former hotel executive Curtis Bashaw.
Testa, who chairs the Cumberland County Republican Organization and was briefly mentioned as a potential Senate candidate himself, endorsed former News 12 anchor Alex Zdan in the primary. Zdan finished third statewide but carried Cumberland County by 23 points.
Testa said his support for Zdan was influenced in part by the county convention process.
“He won the Cumberland County convention,” Testa said.
With the primary now behind them, Testa said Republicans must unite behind their nominee.
“Absolutely, 100 percent,” he said. “You’ve got to get behind the Republican candidate.”
Testa’s endorsement is an early indication that Republicans who backed other candidates during the primary are beginning to rally around Murphy as he shifts his focus to the general election against two-term U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.
Murphy faces long odds in November. Booker enters the race as a formidable incumbent with more than $22 million in campaign funds and has won each of his three Senate races by double-digit margins.
Republicans will be watching closely to see whether Murphy can run a competitive statewide campaign. A strong showing at the top of the ticket could boost Republican candidates in congressional, legislative, and local races. A weak performance, however, could make the path more difficult for down-ballot Republicans.
No Republican has won a U.S. Senate election in New Jersey since 1972. Among the states, only Hawaii has gone longer without electing a Republican to the Senate.
For Booker, the race presents an opportunity to build on his 16-point re-election victory in 2020. Political observers are expected to view his margin of victory this year as an early measure of strength should he pursue a White House campaign in 2028.
