first lady Tammy Murphy's US Senate bid could be stoking resentment among some of the governor's constituents that's according to a new fairly Dickinson University poll released today showing nearly half of New Jersey residents approve of Governor Murphy's job performance a 46% positive rating but that support starts to drop after being told of the first lady's campaign it fell t 10 points among independent voters and dropped even further among Republicans poll director Dan Casino says even though the governor can't run for re-election the numbers still matter they give Murphy leverage to get things done in Trenton adding his wife's campaign could quickly drag him down accusations of nepotism have dogged the senate race but Murphy has stable job approval ratings among Democrats that's the voters who matter most to him and the first lady's campaign her main opponent sitting Congressman Andy Kim is risking his house seat to run prompting two former assembly running mates in his district to battle it out for the open seat senior political correspondent David Cruz reports Congressman Andy Kim will vacate his seat to run for Senate and the battle to succeed him is coming to its first Milestone this weekend as Mammoth County Democrats hold their first convention to see who gets their support for the party's nomination the conventional wisdom is that assembly member herb Conway has the support of most of the party's electors his primary opponent and assembly partner we should note Carol Murphy says the party line which we should also note she's run on before is not working for democracy we should not be in a position where we're kitting Democrat against Democrat it should be all and this is what I've been advocating for everybody in the same column come primary and let the voters pick the person Conway says as long as there's a Partyline system he's going to compete in it he's grown up in that system and says he's okay with fellow Democrats making the choice it's a record of accomplishment uh but but I started out just like anybody any person who's in their 20s uh who wants to get involved in this system the door is open uh you can run for office and County committee if you wish and you can get you can become an elector for of the democratic party in your jurisdiction and you can work your way up as I did and get to know people do politics this is about politics after all in a way this race is similar to the Senate primary and that the establishment candidate Tammy Murphy is getting all the institutional support and the Challenger Andy Kim is trying to Buck the system this Murphy waves off the comparison but notes that having Burlington County chair Joe andle endorsed Conway was not very sporting he's been friends with her a long time um and I think him coming out was um not the right thing to do regardless of the friendship and donating to his campaign I think was wrong as well um because we both are sitting assembly who work on the Democratic party who is part of the democratic party and this has been the problem you know not only in B County we face but also a lot of places where people are tired of feeling that the um the the Democratic weight is not working because it's always bias on one side depending on who you're friends with and who you're not friends with K Murph is pretty uh formidable and people always want to diversify yeah delegation with women but I think that um what Conaway Conway has has had a long career uh he's both a doctor and a lawyer uh his credentials are impeccable he's been a loyal Democratic Soldier for years Murphy who's no newcomer having served as Chief of Staff to two assembly members says you shouldn't counter out regardless of who in the The Establishment is back in Conway I will tell you they are a u strong strong Democratic party out there um and they know what they're they're looking for and I think knowing that being first woman that would represent mammoth in Congressional office right now um is appealing to the lot of the women that are out there and the men who support those women you appear to be the establishment candidate no well I have along record of service uh for um my state here in New Jersey and my country in the military and so um if that makes me establishment then uh then so be it this used to be a more conservative District but Kim's success and some favorable redistricting have made it much more blue meaning that the winner of the Democratic primary is likely the next member of Congress from Congressional District 3 which will leave at least one vacancy in Assembly District district 7 which you don't have to worry about because the party bosses will take care of filling it I'm David Cruz David Cruz NJ Spotlight News