Murphy Submits Nearly 100 Nominations to State Boards as Term Winds Down
In what may be his largest batch of nominations, the outgoing governor moves to place allies in positions that will outlast his administration.
Governor Phil Murphy submitted nearly 100 nominations to state boards and commissions Thursday, a sweeping effort to place allies and extend terms before he leaves office on January 20.
The 97 nominations, sent to the Senate for confirmation, represent what is likely the grandest tranche of appointees before Murphy departs. While many nominations would simply extend the terms of individuals already serving on various state bodies, others would install new faces in consequential positions that will outlast the Murphy administration.
Among the most notable: Mahen Gunaratna, Murphy’s communications director and a close longtime aide, was nominated to a seat on the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield board of directors. The part-time position comes with an $82,000 annual salary, a not-insignificant sum for what amounts to periodic board meetings.
The nomination reflects a time-honored tradition in Trenton politics. Outgoing governors routinely seek to place trusted allies in positions where they can continue to exert influence or, at minimum, land softly after their time in the executive branch ends. State boards and commissions, many of which operate far from public attention, offer exactly such opportunities.
For Murphy, the rush of nominations also serves a policy purpose. Many of the boards and commissions oversee areas that the governor has prioritized during his eight years in office, from environmental protection to economic development to education. Placing sympathetic members can help ensure continuity even as the administration changes.
The incoming Sherrill administration will have its own priorities, of course. Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill has signaled that she intends to maintain many of Murphy’s progressive policies while bringing her own leadership style to the state’s highest office. But personnel decisions made now could shape how effectively she can implement any changes.
Senate confirmation is required for most of the nominations, and Senate President Nick Scutari will play a key role in determining which nominees receive hearings and votes before Murphy leaves office. The compressed timeline, with barely two months remaining until Inauguration Day, means that some nominations may not be acted upon before the transition.
This is not unusual. Governors frequently submit nominations in their final months that linger unconfirmed, leaving the decision to their successors. In some cases, incoming administrations honor their predecessors’ choices. In others, they withdraw nominations and substitute their own candidates.
Murphy’s nominations span the alphabet of state government. Transportation, healthcare, education, housing, environmental protection, professional licensing, all of these areas and more are represented in the batch of appointees. Some positions carry significant authority, while others are largely ceremonial.
The nominations also reflect the breadth of Murphy’s political network. Over eight years, the governor has cultivated relationships with Democratic politicians, labor leaders, business executives, and community activists across the state. Many of them, or their allies, appear in this week’s list.
For political observers, the nominations offer a window into how administrations seek to perpetuate their influence beyond their terms. The individuals named this week could serve for years on bodies that make decisions affecting millions of New Jersey residents.
The Senate is expected to take up at least some of the nominations before the year ends. Which ones advance will depend on the usual Trenton calculus of relationships, priorities, and political debt.
