Phil Murphy
Governor (D)
State of New Jersey
It’s funny how time seemingly can move at different rates of speed.
A year ago, when ROI-NJ released its ROI Influencers: Power List for the state, all of this was true:
- Few knew much about something that was then known as “the coronavirus”;
- PPE was something that needed to be spelled out and explained;
- Approximately 800 business leaders and elected officials were boarding a crowed train for Washington, D.C., without a single mask in sight;
- And Gov. Phil Murphy and state Senate President Steve Sweeney tied for the top spot on our list.
That feels like two lifetimes ago.
As we release the 2021 ROI Influencers: Power List, there’s no doubt that Murphy is the most powerful person in the state: In fact, it was the single easiest decision in the history of our lists.
The only debate: Should we even put anyone at Nos. 2, 3, 4 or 5? The governor’s influence right now is that overwhelming.
While there can be — and should be — spirited debate about whether the governor should reopen the economy faster and end the state of emergency that has lasted nearly a year, there is one thing no can debate.
The quick actions the governor took early on helped slow down a pandemic that was threatening to overwhelm the state even more than it did.
Shutting businesses and ordering all those who can to work from home — shocking actions at the time — have proven to be
the right call.
Where do we go from here? Only time can tell.
All we know is this: The next year can’t come fast enough.
To read about the rest of this year’s Top 30, click the links below:
