and while we wait to see whether Senator Mendez either resigns or is expelled from the US Senate Governor Murphy has a big role to play in what comes next here with us are two very influential people in New Jersey politics who have some insight into that state senator Holly Schepisi and Dan Bryan former adviser to Governor Murphy and head of his policy pack stronger fairer forward Senator shapy Dan briyan thank you both so much for for being with us tonight Dan I want to start with you there's a timing issue at here while we wait to see what happens with the senator whether he resigns or is voted out uh Governor Murphy has a significant role to play here and there's a timing issue because he has the power to appoint a replacement uh what can you tell us about what that process will look like listen I I think first of all thank you so much for having me um obviously appalled by the um by now the conviction that uh Senator Menendez uh was found guilty of yesterday um listen we went through a similar process recently when um the lieutenant governor Sheila Oliver uh may she rest in peace passed away and the governor went through a pretty expedited expeditious process to appoint a new lieutenant governor thought he he knocked that process out of the park I think you'll see a similar one here I think he will you know go through a process I think he'll move uh fairly quickly um and if history is any guide I think he's going to repo the right person and someone that's going to stand up for the state down at DC we're going to come back to who he considers for that uh that replacement but should the senator resign what is your opinion Dan absolutely he should resign I mean I think he should have resigned when he was indicted I think he should resign today um again the the what was found in that court case was absolutely appalling you know not only um taking money taking gifts taking bribes but um you know trading State Secrets um about as bad as it can get so um yes in in my opinion he abolutely should have I he should have last year I think he absolutely should today Senator shapey your thoughts should the senator resign uh absolutely will he resign I I don't believe he will I think he will double down he will stay in his sentencing is until October 29th we're absolutely going to see him appeal and I think that you know while the governor may want an expeditious process and you know the state of politics right now now for the Democratic party where you have you know more than seven out of 10 people wanting President Biden to step aside you have a super majority of people who say it's the right thing for Senator Menendez to step aside of course everybody would want that but I don't think he's going to do it and I think by the time they were to do an expulsion proceeding you're well into the fall yeah it's a good point that timing issue is at play because we know sentencing doesn't happen until October 29th but just to touch on that point there Senator Republicans have been quick to kind of capitalize on the division that exists right now within the Democratic party but we don't see many Republicans coming out publicly calling for Menendez to resign and I can't help but wonder is that because there's some dissonance there right now at the top of the Republican ticket is a convicted felon uh I think it's more a function of opportunity I think that the longer Senator Mendez does stay on the ticket the better the chance of potentially for the first time ever having a Republican senator I mean not ever but during the time I've been an adult um New Jersey having a Republican senator I think that know the numbers are so close that Curtis bashel actually has a very real chance of becoming a US senator and I think that that kind of comes into play as well so Dan to uh the Senator's point the governor could appoint somebody if the timing works out who ends up being an incumbent or there are Rumblings that he could do something like appoint Tammy Murphy his wife who at one point was an opponent of Andy Kim who would be uh the Pres he's he's now the P Democratic primary candidate who do you think the governor appoints and who should he appoint yeah listen I I'm out of the predictions business on this and a number of different things I I genuinely have not had a conversation with the governor about this so you know I listen I'll leave names out of it uh I uh I don't believe given his previous statements uh months ago on whether or not this was a possibility that he would appoint someone that's that is currently um in the race um obviously that's just my opinion but that that's what he has said publicly um so I don't believe that's the case say Tammy Murphy and zero chance that Andy Ken gets appointed Senator are you available I can pass it along hey you would get rid of me in New Jersey it would be awesome exactly exactly Dan Bryan executive director of the policy pack stronger farer Ford and Senator Holly Schepisi representing the 39th District in New Jersey thank you both thank you thank you so much [Music]