NJ Gov. Phil Murphy's Tumor Surgery Is Successful

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy underwent successful surgery on Wednesday to remove a tumor in his kidney, his office said.

Acting Governor Oliver Sheila Oliver announced that Murphy underwent successful surgery and he's resting in a hospital in New York City. The surgery took place early Wednesday.

First Lady Tammy Murphy released a statement:

“I am proud to report that Phil’s surgery presented no surprises to his doctors and was a success.

“The tumor was removed, and his left kidney remains largely intact. He is awake and (as expected) is in some discomfort, but he’s gone through the entire day with his usual good humor and optimism buoying the nurses, doctors, staff and anyone else in his proximity - present company included! The kids and I are so happy to have him through surgery and now set our sights on healing.

“Home is not far from his mind, and one of his first questions (after asking how the surgery went and how the kids and I were holding up) was, “Is everything ok in New Jersey?”

“Phil, the kids, and I cannot thank everyone enough for the tremendous outpouring of support we’ve received at this challenging time. We are so very grateful. And we know that Phil will jump back into the thick of things in no time!”

Murphy announced last week that he has a tumor on his kidney, and he scheduled the surgery to remove it. He learned that there is a 90 percent chance that it's cancer.

Murphy, 62, made the announcement on Twitter. "The prognosis is very good and I’m profoundly grateful to my doctors for detecting the tumor early," Murphy said.

Murphy, who took office in January 2018, noted that more than 50,000 New Jerseyans will hear the words “you have cancer” this year, "so I’m far from alone here."

"It’s a situation that far too many families find themselves in," he said. "That’s why we’re fighting for them each and every day."

Murphy then used the opportunity to discuss health care, saying it is "a right, not a privilege for a select few, and skyrocketing medical costs are a national emergency."

"If there’s anything my diagnosis reminds me of, it’s that preventative services are lifesaving and we need to continue fighting for affordable health care for all," he said.

This is a developing story. Patch will have more information as it comes in.