steadily raising his national profile in recent months<\/a>, fueling rumors that he could be a potential 2024 candidate should President Joe Biden decide not to seek a second term.<\/p>\nMurphy\u2019s NGA speech on Friday in Portland, Maine, emphasized themes of bipartisanship and finding \u201ccommon ground\u201d between red states and blue states. <\/p>\n
\u201cI do not expect that, over the course of the next year, any of us are going to take off our hats as either ‘Democrats’ or ‘Republicans.’ In fact, I know we each wear these hats, and the respective underlying ideals they espouse \u2014 with great pride,\u201d Murphy said, according to prepared remarks. \u201cBut I ask that we endeavor to look below these hats \u2014 and at each other\u2019s faces \u2014 and recognize that we are partisans third, governors second, and Americans first and foremost.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murphy\u2019s wife, Tammy Murphy, will also serve as chair of the NGA\u2019s Governors\u2019 Spouses\u2019 Program with a goal to \u201celiminate our country\u2019s maternal and infant health crisis,\u201d an issue she\u2019s championed in New Jersey.<\/p>\n
As NGA chair, Murphy said he will make addressing youth mental health needs his core initiative.<\/p>\n
The initiative\u2019s \u201cfour core pillars\u201d will focus on \u201cprevention and resilience building, increasing awareness and reducing stigma, access and affordability of quality treatment and care, and caregiver and educator training and support,” his office said.<\/p>\n
A Murphy spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions regarding how he would carry out the initiative or any specific policy proposals he\u2019s promoting.<\/p>\n
Murphy said he plans to \u201cleverage innovative funding\u201d to help shore up the mental health workforce and reduce stigma by committing to \u201cback [struggling youth] up with access through education, helplines, and necessary state services centered on empathy,” according to his prepared remarks.<\/p>\n