Joe Biden to visit N.J. to campaign for Phil Murphy

Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks in California earlier this month.
Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks in California earlier this month. (Frederick M. Brown | Getty Images)

TRENTON -- Former Vice President Joe Biden will travel to New Jersey over Memorial Day weekend to campaign for Phil Murphy, the Democratic front-runner for governor, NJ Advance Media has learned. 

Biden is scheduled to appear at two events in Bergen County on May 28 to stump for Murphy -- a private fundraiser in Edgewater and a public rally in Lyndhurst, according to Murphy's campaign. Further details were not provided.

The visit marks the first time that a major political figure will wade into the crowded race to succeed Gov. Chris Christie, a term-limited Republican who is scheduled to leave office in January. 

New poll sizes up N.J. governor's race to succeed Christie

It will also come nine days before the June 6 primary and could provide a boost of attention to the race. Though New Jersey is one of only two states with a gubernatorial election his year, along with Virginia, polls show more than half of Democratic and Republican voters have yet to decide which candidate to support.

Murphy, a former U.S. ambassador to Germany and ex-Goldman Sachs banking executive, is one of six Democrats for the party's nomination. He's leading opinion polls by double digits and has spent about $18.4 million on the race -- nearly four times more than the other 10 major-party contenders combined. He has lent his campaign more than $15.1 million.

Biden was vice president for two terms under former President Barack Obama, from 2009 until January.

Murphy was the finance chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2006 to 2009, when Obama picked him to be his German ambassador. Murphy held that post from 2009 to 2013.

Before serving in the White House, Biden spent 26 years representing New Jersey's neighbor, Delaware, in the U.S. Senate.

He declined to run for the Democratic nomination for president in the 2016 election, and there have been rumors he might seek the 2020 nod to challenge Republican President Donald Trump, even though he'd be 78 years old.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.