Murphy Thanks Voters After New Jersey Governor's Race Win
HOBOKEN, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Democrat Phil Murphy thanked voters Wednesday after being elected the next governor of New Jersey as he prepares for the transition.
Murphy greeted commuters at the Hoboken PATH station after the Democrat beat Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno Tuesday 55 percent to 43 percent.
Murphy says he'll kick off his transition in the evening, but first he plans to make a lot of phone calls and attend his son's soccer game.
Murphy says he had a gracious phone call from Republican Gov. Chris Christie and they will meet in the next few days to discuss the change of government.
He said the phone call with Christie was "outstanding," 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck reported.
"He and I are trying to find some time to sit and it was a really good conversation as was my conservation with the lieutenant governor," he said.
EXTRA: NJ Election Results
Guadagno had hoped to succeed Christie. She congratulated Murphy Tuesday night, telling her supporters to clap for him after they began booing him.
"It was a great race," she said. "We left no stone unturned, and we would not have done it any differently."
Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs executive, pledged to a crowd of supporters Tuesday night that he plans to deliver on his campaign promises.
"We will rebuild our state from the bottom up and the middle out and we'll ask those at the very top to do their fair share," he said. "That means higher minimum wage, equal pay for equal work."
But Murphy acknowledged the challenges ahead.
"It won't be easy and it's certainly won't be overnight," he said. "But let there be no doubt, starting here, starting now and starting with us, New Jersey is coming back."
Christie said that he promised Murphy his administration's full support to help ahead of his swearing-in on Jan. 16.
Murphy was joined Wednesday morning by Ravi Bhalla, who will be the first Sikh mayor of Hoboken. He will succeed Dawn Zimmer, who decided not to seek a third term in office.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
