Well, news of first lady Tammy Murphy's candidacy for U.S. Senate brought with it cries of nepotism from her political rivals and some progressive, grassroots organized nations who argue Murphy's status as first lady gives her an unfair political advantage.

But New Jersey has a long history of politics being a family affair.

Senior writer Colleen O'Dea looked into just how common the practice is in the state and joins me now.

Colleen, thanks for joining me.

So this is not a new issue in politics, especially in New Jersey.

But I'm wondering how often it happens and what other situations have arisen similar to this.

I mean, it's still fairly rare.

We do have a number of instances in New Jersey of, you know, we've got two cases where women filled out their husbands seats, that assemblywoman, you know, who is still in the assembly from Union County Betty Lou DeCroce who is no longer in the assembly, but she had filled her husband's term.

We've got a number of cases where we've got a father son.

You had the Conners in South Jersey, the Buccos in Morris County.

We had father daughter up in Sussex County with Bob Littell and his daughter Alison McHose So, I mean, it happens.

You've got at the congressional level, Congressman Payne succeeded his father after he passed.

And we've got, of course, Congressman Menendez, who is a freshman, who is the son of embattled Senator Menendez, whose seat is kind of at the center of all this.

Sounds like a lot.

But I'm wondering.

Does sound like a lot.

It happens nationally too.

And I'm thinking about Sandra Cunningham as well, state senator.

So you're right.

Yeah.

So, okay.

So let me ask you, though, how do you differentiate between nepotism and someone wanting to follow in a family member's footsteps?

And what's the argument to be made there?

Yeah, you know, I think that's a really hard thing to do because I think it does make sense that, you know what son might want to follow in his father's footsteps or daughter in her father's or mother's footsteps.

You know, I think what happens here is when you consider, you know, Tammy Murphy's running, the governor, being the head of the Democratic Party in the state, really means whether he he comes out and says, as he did on Friday, that, you know, he's not going to make any deals to help her.

The people who can help her get elected know that he's the head of the party and think, you know what, if I don't endorse her, what if we don't help her win?

Maybe we won't be getting state aid.

Maybe there's, you know, stuff we will be getting from the state.

And Colleen, I'm curious how voters should go at this when they see these candidates out there and what candidates are doing to sort of differentiate, you know, where they stand compared to their counterparts or their family members.

So, you know, I think that voters certainly need to be informed.

In the case of New Jersey.

Of course, we have this problem with the county lines so that when the primary does come up next June, you're going to see so far again as we know it, I think it's five counties at least where we can expect Tammy Murphy will have preferential treatment on that line.

And so folks who come out and maybe are not well informed might be more apt to just click those candidates that the party has endorsed.

Colleen O'Dea for us.

Colleen, thanks so much.

Thank you very much, Bri.