Gov.-Elect Phil Murphy May Remain In Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Could the next New Jersey governor's office be located in ... Middletown?

Apparently, it's quite a possibility. Gov.-elect Phil Murphy appears reluctant to leave his Middletown estate for the traditional governor's mansion, Drumthwacket, in Princeton, the Asbury Park Press is reporting.

Murphy will be sworn in as governor soon, but he has yet to announce if he and his wife, Tammy, and their four children will relocate from Middletown to Drumthwacket. Murphy and his family have lived in Middletown for the past 19 years. Murphy made millions working for Goldman Sachs and the family lives in a $9.5 million mansion on the banks of the Navesink River, in the wealthiest section of the Township. Jon Bon Jovi, who campaigned for Murphy, is a neighbor.

Murphy led Goldman's German, Austrian and Swiss operations and later served as president of its Asian branch before retiring in 2006. Murphy donated heavily to the presidential campaign of President Barack Obama, and in return, Obama made him the U.S. ambassador to Germany in 2009, a post he held until May of 2013. The Murphys also own homes in Germany and Italy.

According to the article, there is no requirement that New Jersey governors live in the Princeton governor's mansion. Gov. Chris Christie and his family did not live there. Instead, Christie commuted to Trenton from his home in Mendham, although he did occasionally conduct business or take meetings at the governor's mansion.

Photo from the Murphy campaign.