Murphy was born 1942 in Oak Park, Illinois. He was the first Class President of Proviso West High School in its first graduating class in 1961. He graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Economics. He received his Master of Business Administration from Harvard University and his law degree from Stanford University.\n', '

Murphy served as an officer in the U.S. Army, in The Pentagon and as a military aide to the Nixon administration. In the early 1970s he moved to San Diego, where he was Marketing Director for Bank of America, and an attorney at the law firm of Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps. In 1980, he was elected to the San Diego City Council, and served from 1981 through 1985. In 1985, he was appointed municipal court judge by Governor George Deukmejian. In 1989, the governor elevated him to superior court judge where he served for more than a decade.\n', '

Murphy was first elected mayor in November 2000. His election was a long shot against Ron Roberts, who had the support of the business community. He campaigned on providing "Leadership With 2020 Vision"—a promise to set forth a clear long term vision for the city and to provide the leadership to implement that vision. Murphy had previously served one term on the San Diego City Council representing the Seventh District. While elections for municipal offices in California are non-partisan, he is a registered Republican.\n', "

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