Murphy to Campaign for Buttigieg in New Hampshire

Written by John Cole, Managing Editor

Former Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-Bucks) is heading to a key early primary state to campaign on behalf of former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign.

Murphy will travel to New Hampshire on Saturday to participate in three canvas kick-off events, according to a release from the Buttigieg campaign.

“Back in 2007, I stumped in Iowa and New Hampshire for the underdog Barack Obama and felt the movement he was building,” Murphy said in a statement to PoliticsPA. “He shocked the world and delivered when he led our nation. Being back in Iowa and New Hampshire now, I’m feeling serious momentum with record crowds in Iowa and New Hampshire for my fellow combat Vet Pete Buttigieg.”

The three canvass kick-off events will take place in Keene, Nashua, and New London.

Murphy announced his support for Buttigieg in July 2019 in an op-ed for the Military Times.

Murphy, who represented the old 8th District encompassing Bucks County and parts of Philadelphia from 2007-2011, was the first member of Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation to endorse then Sen. Barack Obama’s bid in 2008. After being the first Iraq War veteran elected to Congress, he later served as the under secretary and acting Secretary of the U.S. Army during parts of President Obama’s second term.

This is not the first campaign related event that Murphy has participted in for the Buttigeg campaign. In September, he campaign for Buttigieg in Iowa and opened up for him at his first campaign rally in Pennsylvania in October.

The Republican National Committee said in a statement that Buttigieg’s campaign is “failing.”

“Dragging Patrick Murphy to New Hampshire will not save Pete Buttigieg’s failing campaign, but maybe now he’ll have somebody in the room who will applaud,” said RNC Spokesperson Michael Joyce.

While Murphy has pledged his support for Buttigieg’s campaign, a majority of the state’s current Democratic Congressional Delegation has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden’s bid for the White House. Sen. Bob Casey and Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-Philadelphia), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Chester) and Conor Lamb (D-Allegheny) have all hit the campaign trail for Biden. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has received endorsements from multiple elected officials in the southeast, had Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney participate in campaign related events in New Hampshire last week.

The Real Clear Politics average shows Biden leading the Democratic primary field with 28.5% of the vote, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is in second with 23.3%, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in third place with 15.5%, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in fourth place with 8.2%, and Buttigieg in fifth place with 7%. Despite Biden’s lead in the national average, the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire show a neck and neck race between a few of the Democratic frontrunners.

The Real Clear Politics average shows Sanders leading Biden by 3.6 points in Iowa, while Buttigieg is in third place trailing the Vermont Senator by 8 points, and Warren in fourth place 9.2 points behind the lead. In New Hampshire, Sanders holds a more sizable lead with 26.3% of the vote, followed by Biden with 16.8%, then Buttigieg in third place with 14.8%, and Warren in fourth place with 13.5%.

Biden maintains a several point lead in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary leading the pack with 22.3%, followed by Warren with 13%, Sanders with 11.7%, and Buttigieg with 6%, according to the Real Clear Politics average. A new Franklin & Marshall College poll released earlier this week shows a tighter race in the keystone state with Biden leading at 22%, followed by Sanders in second place with 15%, Warren in third place with 14%, Bloomberg in fourth place with 7%, and Buttigieg in fifth place at 6%.

Pa. holds its 2020 primary on April 28, right at the midpoint of the Democratic calendar.

This story was updated with a comment from the RNC.

January 31st, 2020 | Posted in Front Page Stories, Presidential, Top Stories | 2 Comments