You're not in Chris Christie-land any more, New Jersey.

Welcome to the Phil Murphy era, where Donald Trump is not a friend, marijuana is on a road to legalization, millionaires should watch out for tax increases -- and California is a state to admire.

Oh, and don't expect the new governor to grab headlines by calling someone "numbnuts."

In an interview with NJ Advance Media on Thursday, Murphy's strongest response came when he was asked to describe Trump, enemy No. 1 for liberals.

"Not my cup of tea," he said.

Murphy, who on Tuesday will succeed Republican Christie and become Jersey's 56th governor, makes no bones about it: He wants to reshape New Jersey in a progressive mold.

"Listen, I'm a proud Democrat," the 60-year-old former U.S. ambassador to Germany and Wall Street executive said in his transition office in Trenton. "My heroes are the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King. And I don't apologize for that and never will."

"I'm proudly progressive," Murphy added, "but we're gonna grow this economy."

The Massachusetts native turned Middletown resident -- who is taking over for a governor with the lowest approval ratings in state history -- said he believes under his watch, New Jersey will be "America's No. 1 turnaround story."

"I believe that with all my heart," Murphy said. "Whether it's turning the economy around, whether it's getting back to standing for the right things."

Less than a week from taking over a state with nine million residents and a $35 billion state budget despite boasting no previous elected experience, Murphy was in a buoyant mood Thursday.

He walked around his office overseeing downtown Trenton in a dark suit and what have become his trademark Allbirds sneakers. The multimillionaire notes that they're $95 but come with free shipping -- and they're "comfortable as heck."

He often wears them at public events. You might see them as he begins a five-day schedule of inaugural events on Friday. Just don't expect to see them as he takes the oath of office at the War Memorial theater in Trenton.

"I don't want people to think I'm being flippant," Murphy said of why he doesn't wear them at more "solemn" affairs.

He said he's been carrying the oath in his bag and has been working on his speech.

"I wouldn't say I'm nervous, but the burden of responsibility and the challenges as well as the opportunity and the upside, that's starting to come into real resolution," Murphy said.

He said the focus of his first 100 days in office will be on "things you're probably sick of hearing from me." That means ideas on how to create a "stronger, fairer economy" in the state.

Murphy also isn't deterred by how some of his top campaign priorities are being questioned by fellow Democrats who run the state Legislature.

One is the campaign promise that caught many voters' attention: his call to legalize marijuana. Murphy said he's pushing ahead, and that he is also not deterred by the recent news that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is rescinding an Obama administration policy on marijuana.

So will legal weed happen in the first 100 days?

"I don't want to marry myself to a particular day," he said. "But I would hope it's sooner than later."

Murphy said his team has been studying how the other eight states with legal pot have rolled out their initiatives.

"We've just got to make sure we do it right," he said.

Another concern among lawmakers has been Murphy's plan to raise taxes on millionaires to help pay for his priorities. Some -- especially state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester -- question whether taxes should be hiked for anyone because of the the new GOP tax law signed by Trump, a Republican.

Murphy said he doesn't "blame others for having sticker shock given what Trump's trying to do to us."

But he said he expects a millionaires tax to happen.

"I think the notion of tax fairness is the reasonable thing to do," Murphy said. "And the wealthiest among us will do well in this (Trump) tax bill. I'm not blind by any means to the impact on property values, which is real -- or potentially real. But the notion of getting back to sort of tax equity -- that puts the middle class and those that aspire to get into it -- remains our No. 1 objective."

Murphy critics continue to question how he will pay for all his plans. There's no clear answer yet beyond his campaign's contention that the millionaires tax, legalized marijuana, and the closing of corporate tax loopholes could bring in $1.3 billion.

Murphy said the people want to know if he'll be raising their taxes, stressing that his plans won't hit the middle class.

"I was just at a diner the other day with my wife grabbing a quick lunch, and a guy walked up to me and said, 'Please don't raise taxes on me,'" he recalled.

"Now, I don't know what the guy's circumstances are in life, but this is overwhelmingly a middle-class state," Murphy added. "And I said, 'Listen, we're gonna do our best to get this state into the right place.'"

He said the model is California, another heavily populated, deeply blue state -- where Democrat Jerry Brown took over for Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger eight years ago.

Murphy said he spoke with Brown about two months ago and told him that New Jersey aspires to be "the California of the East Coast."

"And either a colleague or a supporter of mine said, 'Murph, you need more attitude. You should say, 'If we succeed, California is the New Jersey of the West Coast.'" he said with a laugh.

Then, there's fighting Trump. Murphy has vowed to battle the Republicans who control Washington at a state level. But how does he actually plan to do it?

Murphy said he and his team will "pursue creative reactions" as well as challenge some policies -- like the Trump tax plan -- through lawsuits.

"I think it's going to depend on the issue and the venue and the weapon we use to fight," Murphy said.

He also vows to be a champion for New Jersey's beleagured motorists and rail commuters.

Murphy said he expects there to be a new Hudson River rail tunnel during his tenure, believing that "cooler heads will prevail" to push the Gateway project, which recently received some pushback on funding from the Trump administration.

Murphy also said a recent letter he sent calling for the resignation of top NJ Transit officials is a sign of how he plans to deal with the beleaguered agency.

"We need new leadership," he said. "That's where it has to start. We've talked about doing a complete audit of their operation, which I think we want to pursue."

Murphy downplayed the reportedly rocky relationship he's had with Sweeney, the state's top lawmaker and the Democrat he'll need to work with to get any laws enacted. He said he met with Sweeney and new state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, on Wednesday and attended a party for Sweeney earlier in the week.

"I think it's way overblown," Murphy said of his rift with Sweeney. "We're not gonna agree on everything. But the fact of the matter is: That's the story of any human beings."

He also scoffed at those who say he's already in the pocket of public-worker unions, who overwhelmingly supported his race against his Republican rival, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadango.

"They don't know me," Murphy said of his critics. "I am a huge believer in organized labor. Period. Full stop. And I think if you're a public-sector union, you've been beaten down needlessly, and promises have been broken."

"The one thing we've promised -- and the only thing we've promised -- is a stronger and fairer economy in this state," he added. "And that includes for organized labor."

There are a few other ways Murphy plans to distinguish himself from Christie. Though he plans to continue to battle the state's opioid epidemic -- Christie's passion issue -- don't expect to see him in commercials.

When asked if he has plans to ever run for president, he gave a one-word response: "No."

And while Christie was famously a Dallas Cowboys fan despite being the governor of New Jersey, Murphy won't be taunting Jersey fans.

"I will continue to root for the teams I've been rooting for my whole life," said Murphy, who grew up outside of Boston.

And those are?

"I will not finish that sentence," he said. "But give me some sympathy. The governor was born in Livingston, New Jersey. I was at least born in Boston."

Murphy did reveal the story behind the now-famous leap he made on stage after he beat Guadagno on election night.

He studied musical theater at Harvard University and can tap dance. But, no, he said, he didn't plan to bust that move.

Murphy did plan to walk into Asbury Park Convention Hall to Gerry & The Pacemakers' 1963 rendition of the show tune "You'll Never Walk Alone" -- which also happens to be a staple in the world of soccer, Murphy's favorite sport.

And he said he borrowed an idea from Paul Anka and Jersey icon Jon Bon Jovi, his good friend and neighbor: enter the hall from the back of the house.

"The thing I didn't plan at all was: I was one step from the stage and I just leapt up," Murphy said. "It just came over me. Not planned at all. I guess I was happy. If you're not gonna be happy that night, you're not gonna be happy."

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.