NYS Senator Dean Murray Featured As “Clue” In Popular Television Game Show

PATCHOGUE, NY – State Senator Dean Murray represents New York’s District 3; his jurisdiction spans from Patchogue to East Port in eastern Suffolk County. But his most recent claim to fame is something decidedly different — not a new piece of legislation or a political victory — but his inclusion in a “Jeopardy!” clue.

On a recent Wednesday episode, Murray was the answer to a $400 dollar clue in the “Politics as Unusual” category. The clue was, “This movement named for a 1773 event arrived in 2010 starting with the election of newbie Dean Murray to the N.Y. State Assembly.” The contestant, a psychiatrist from Ontario, Canada, predictably struck the right note with the response, “What is the Tea Party?”

At the time of the program’s airing, Murray, 59, was quietly settling into his home in East Patchogue, after a long day in New York’s bustling capital, Albany. Unbeknownst to him, his phone quickly filled with a flurry of messages. “My phone blew up, and everyone was saying ‘You’re on “Jeopardy!” And I said ‘No, I’m on the couch,’ “ he laughingly recounted.

At first, he assumed it must be some sort of jest from one of his friends. But the banter turned into a revered moment when he saw the evidence — a screenshot of the clue. He humorously reflected, “I’m guessing the mention of the 1773 event was what helped with the contestant guessing the Tea Party.”

Interestingly, this was not the first time that a Long Islander had graced as a clue on the beloved game show. Just a day before, Ellen Meister, an author from Jericho, and her novel “Dorothy Parker Drank Here” were part of a clue about The Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan. The venerable hotel served as a popular hangout for the famed wit and writer, Dorothy Parker during the 1920s and ’30s.

Senator Murray, who served in the Assembly from 2011 till 2013 and again between 2015 and 2019, received a preponderance of calls and texts following the show’s broadcast. It seemed his friends and peers had recorded the show and watched it the following day. While others were gushing over his unexpected television appearance, the veteran senator felt it was simply “funny and interesting.”

Dean Murray, a member of the Republican Party, serves as the representative for District 3 in the New York State Senate. He officially began his term on January 1, 2023, and is slated to conclude it on January 1, 2025. Having successfully won the general election on November 8, 2022, Murray initially entered the New York State Senate to champion the interests of District 3. Notably, he previously held the position of representative for New York State Assembly District 3 from 2010 to 2013.