New Jersey appears to be on the brink of a political showdown.

First Lady Tammy Murphy will announce her bid this week to be the Democratic nominee in the 2024 race for the US Senate seat.

That according to sources familiar with the first lady's decision.

The news comes just days after a sitting Democratic congressman Andy Kim, officially launched his campaign for the seat.

The 41 year old former Obama administration staffer kicked off his run Friday night at a South Jersey brewery, saying he's sick of a broken Congress and will fight to restore trust as he seeks to take over the seat of indicted U.S.

Senator Bob Menendez, adding he'll stay in the race even if the party machine decides to back the Murphy machine.

Senior political correspondent David Kruse reports.

Whether you believe that there's been a groundswell of support from the party's rank and file chanting Run, Tammy, run, or you believe that the first lady's always just been a candidate in search of an office?

It is inevitable now that Tammy Murphy for Senate is going to be a thing.

There are no groundswell for for rich white women who live on the Navis think, I'm sorry, it just doesn't occur.

Ouch.

Now, you may say, sure, that's coming from a Republican and you'd be right.

But while you may not be hearing it out loud, there is a genuine undercurrent of resentment among some Democrats, women of color, particularly, who suggest that there were several other candidates better known and in some cases may be better or equally qualified, who didn't even get a courtesy call from Team Murphy.

New Jersey voters are tired of political bosses, men in the back of a room over state dinners deciding who gets to run for office by giving them the lie and who gets elected.

Patricia Campos may yet mount an electoral challenge to that party line system, which bestows favorite ballot position on candidates liked by the party bosses.

In this case, it appears that Tammy Murphy.

We have a lot of qualified women, women of color candidates who should enter this race and speak about their vision for New Jersey's future.

Eyeing endorsement by party leaders and party bosses limits the ability of voters to have choice.

And that system makes a candidate, even one many Democrats find palatable, less attractive because there wasn't an open primary, meaning no party line.

It should be that those who are doing a lot of the political work in this state can feel and see of themselves in the political system.

Again, working families, we feel very strongly about the line and the way that it allows the county parties to put their thumb on the scale.

I think it's very important that we do have a true primary where voters fully decide who the candidate is.

All of those things may certainly be true, but in the current world of New Jersey politics, the inevitable means Murphy is coming as a shock to no one.

These off Congressman Andy Kim, who was unavailable today but has said Murphy is not a factor in his thinking.

Look, I know that there are a number of different people who are still at least name that they might be considering that a number of them are colleagues of mine, whether colleagues or Tammy.

You know, I've known them for a number of years.

I have deep respect for them.

So I hope they make their decision in the same way that I did, which is what's best for New Jersey, what's best for the country.

And, you know, I respect that.

It should also be noted that as of right now, at least, the incumbent, a well-funded Democratic powerhouse with the highest name recognition of the bunch, says he's not stepping back.

That would be the easy way out as it relates to a primary.

You know, I trust the people of New Jersey.

I've trusted them for nearly 50 years.

In terms of her being perhaps the worst candidate the Democrats could put forward, at least some of the few that have bandied about their names, I think that is for sure.

There may be a Democratic primary next year.

Whether they will be a contest is to be determined.

I'm David Cruz.

NJ Spotlight News.