The state's Democratic congressional members are lining up to endorse Tammy Murphy in her bid for the U.S. Senate.

Representatives Mikie Sherrill, Frank Pallone, Donald Norcross, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne and Josh Gottheimer are all backing the first lady as she looks to take the seat currently held by embattled senior Senator Bob Menendez.

It's also a snub, though, to their Democratic House colleague Andy Kim, who was first to jump in the race.

And as Murphy's campaign gets underway, it's clear a cornerstone will be her efforts on maternal health.

Today, the first lady unveiled a new push to give pregnant people access to doulas.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis reports.

I am proud to say that with the help of our partners in the legislature, we have introduced legislation that guarantees patients have the legal right to have a doula with them in hospitals and birthing centers before, during and after labor.

At a maternal health roundtable this morning, First Lady Tammy Murphy introduced new legislation that will expand doula access in hospitals around the state, a key element in her nurture NJ initiative that worked to increase the use of doulas, especially for women of color, where maternal death rates are staggering.

I think this bill will help a lot because I've come across different policies at different hospitals.

I've actually been told that you don't need to be here after C-section when that's when I'm a lot more, you know, effective as well.

So some uniformity, some clarity going forward will help a lot.

The bill would also require hospitals to create a doula liaison for patients and to clearly post their doula access rules within their hospitals.

It has the support of several health care organizations around the state who applaud the Murphy administration's expansion of doulas, along with the expanded Medicaid coverage for them.

I have seen how labor support can affect a pregnant person, affect their confidence.

We've been working on training doulas in the community programs since 2018.

We've trained over 260 doulas who have assisted in over 600 births, and we're very proud of that fact.

This bill allows us now to take that next step in working with our hospital partners and connecting them with different groups in the community that are working with doulas to develop templates to ensure that doulas have access to all women in labor.

Easy access.

For the maternal health champions in the room.

The message is familiar even if the numbers are still startling.

Black women in New Jersey are nearly seven times more likely than white women to die from maternity related complications.

While Latina mothers are three and a half times more likely to die.

Meanwhile, black babies are more than three times more likely than white babies to die before their first birthday.

But with Tammy Murphy's announcement last week that she's running for the U.S. Senate seat that U.S.

Senator Bob Menendez currently holds, her message rang just a bit different today.

In New Jersey.

I have spent almost six years listening to mothers who have lost their babies or very nearly their own lives.

At the beginning of my husband's administration, we were 47th in the nation from maternal mortality rates.

And I'm really proud to tell you that as of their their last publication, we are now at 27.

So is it appropriate to be holding a state event like this when you are running for the U.S. Senate?

Oh, this is this is something that I have been working on for six years.

And I would say today is a big deal.

This is a big step.

Moms and babies have been dying in New Jersey and we are brick by brick, slowly moving the needle.

As for events like this, the first lady says, regards this of her status as a candidate.

You can expect to see her out here doing many more.

In Newark, I'm Joanna Gagis NJ Spotlight News.