Needham Native Phil Murphy Wins NJ Governor's Race

NEEDHAM, MA — Future Olympians, astronauts, ESPN personalities, and NFL players have previously walked the halls of Needham High School. Now, the school can add the future governor of New Jersey to the list of notable graduates.

Phil Murphy, the Democratic candidate in the New Jersey Gubernatorial Election and a member of the Needham HS Class of 1975, was elected governor of the Garden State Tuesday night. He earned over 55 percent of the vote and defeated Republican Kim Guadagno.

In an ad, Murphy described himself as "middle class, on a good day." On his website, Murphy said that he began working at 13 years old as a dishwasher for a local diner. After graduating from Needham HS, Murphy earned degrees from Harvard and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to getting elected governor, Murphy was the U.S. Ambassador to Germany and spent years at Goldman Sachs.

Interesting enough, when Murphy is sworn into office, he will not be the only member of his class to become a governor. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker graduated from Needham High School the same year as Murphy.

Image Credit: AP Photo/Julio Cortez