first lady Tammy Murphy is out of the race for US Senate abruptly ending her bid for the Democratic nomination in a video released on social media yesterday it's a stunning development in what's become one of the most watched races in the nation and all but clears the way for Congressman Andy Kim to become the presumptive nominee in the general election in her video Murphy said it became clear to her that continuing the race would involve waging a quote divisive and negative campaign that would tear down a fellow Democrat at a time when the presidency and Donald Trump are on the ticket but her campaign faced an uphill battle from the start further blown off course by a major lawsuit filed by Kim to dismantle the Partyline system Murphy benefited from and even though her candidacy is dead that lawsuit is still very much alive according to Kim the turn of events is a GameChanger in the race a senior political correspondent David Cruz reports [Music] after many busy invigorating and yes challenging months I am suspending my Senate campaign today in a lot of ways this campaign was doomed from the start and that's not entirely the candidates fault the first ladyes team probably did bungle their launch a bit looking to the party bosses for approval before working on their message to voters they also never counted on Congressman Andy Kim Catching Fire as a candidate or the tear down the line movement that could change the course of elections in the state forever there's definitely a recalibration on where the voice that matters is that it can't be just party chair people and that it actually is the Grassroots and the voters I think that's healthy um you know you've had a system here where a handful of people influence every decision and it impacts costs to Residents in New Jersey it's why work very expensive place to live it impacts legislation in Trenton um and that is right for change Jersey city mayor Steve fup a candidate for governor gave voice to many who were silently dreading their support of a boss-- driven campaign that was having a serious case of Failure to Launch and then there was the unassuming three-term congressman from South Jersey Andy cim is a once in a generation candidate to help bring about that culture change to see that culture change coming and to step into it and to help bring it about right says a lot about him but you're right she didn't see any of that happening when she walked into the race I mean she sort of stepped into a mindfield and he saw things that were stacked against him and he wasn't willing to take no for an answer he figured out a way around it and uh and so he changed he changed the rules on the way you know you know I mean in a sense he changed the game I don't know if if I ever imagine we would get to this point where we'd see you know such uh a desire across our entire state for Change and to be able to push in that direction so this is really excited this is bigger than me this is bigger than our Senate race there have been people Advocates activists that have been working in the space for years so you know I'm just grateful for everybody else and the work that they're doing and I'm I'm proud to be part of this operation and part of this effort Murphy says 's going to concentrate her efforts over the next several months helping the Biden presidential campaign she wasn't talking today but Kim said he and Murphy spoke briefly before her announcement over the weekend but she didn't offer nor did Kim ask for an endorsement with Murphy out the conventional wisdom is that Kim is all but the presumptive nominee which the other two candidates still in the race say is well presumptuous now this is an opportunity to turn the lift and actually talk about what Andy Kim is for he's so far been saying what he's against he's against uh Menendez he's against Tommy Murphy he has not told New Jersey voters what he is about and this is an opportunity now for New Jersey voters to talk about his vision for New Jersey and I will continue in this race because I have been from the beginning talking about my vision for New Jersey and what I will do to fight for New Jersey Working Families the Kim Murphy fight was to me now this is Larry ham speaking was to me a clubhouse fight I mean Andy Kim he's an incumbent Congressman he's not Larry ham he's not Patricia Campos Medina he's part of the establishment you know he might not want to be classified as part of the establishment but he is part of the establishment so while the Kim Murphy battle may be over the actual race for the Senate nomination with issues and voting records coming to the four may have just begun I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight news