Obama stumps for Democrat gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy

Former President Barack Obama appeared at a campaign event for Democratic New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy in Newark Thursday.
Murphy has been running an anti-President Donald Trump campaign, and some wondered if Obama would comment on any of the recent Trump administration’s actions. The former president did not mention President Trump’s name during his speech.
Obama arrived to a very loud welcome from the crowd attending the Murphy event. He told the grassroots volunteers who were invited to the event that voters need to stay away from the politics of division. He also said that it seems like now "some folks are looking back at the politics of 50 years ago."
Most of the speech focused on Murphy, who was appointed as ambassador to Germany under the Obama administration.
“It’s not enough just to do well. It’s not enough to just to be a highly successful business person. What’s important is, what kind of citizen are you?” Obama said. “Are you somebody that's led local charities? Are you somebody that's helped to start nonprofits? Are you somebody that’s been a good husband, a good father?”
The campaign event comes one day after Murphy’s second debate with Republican gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. Murphy said that even though he is said to have a large lead in the polls, he won’t take that for granted.
"I'll say this, we're ‘ahead in the polls’, but, just as clearly, there are a lot of people who haven't made their mind up yet…We're taking nothing for granted,” Murphy said.
Murphy said that he is thrilled that Obama came out to the event to support him.
After the event Obama left New Jersey and headed to Richmond to appear at another campaign event in a different race.