New Jersey held the first Democratic Convention of the election season this Saturday and NJ Representative/Senate hopeful Andy Kim produced impressive results against opponent First Lady Tammy Murphy who announced she was running for US Senate earlier this year after disgraced Senator Bob Menendez was charged with fraud.
Not only did Kim beat Murphy—who was presented as the favorite because of her marriage to Governor Murphy and prolonged political activism—but he did it in her home turf of Monmouth County. Fundraisers and party leaders in NJ’s strongest Democratic areas extended early support for Murphy, but it wasn’t enough to fend off Kim—at least in this early election showcase.
In 466 vote turnout, Kim bested Murphy with 56.8 percent of the vote to her 38.8 percent (progressive candidate Patricia Campos-Medina was good for 4.2 percent). Speaking with reporters following the convention, Kim expressed hope, highlighting the momentum he feels his campaign has: “It shows there’s nothing inevitable about this race. There’s nothing inevitable. There’s no sense anybody is destined to be able to win this thing. It confirmed what I’ve always thought… we’re the campaign that has the momentum,” he said.
Murphy did not show too much defeat or disdain following the results, even congratulating Kim on the hard-fought victory and momentum he has built within his election efforts. Kim showed he can garner support from institutional leaders within the party—a necessity to beat the high-profile Murphy.
The race is farm from over, though, as counties in Central and North Jersey—which are considered to be Democratic strongholds—are expected to go for Murphy following support from party leaders.
If these early NJ election results are indication of anything, it’s going to be a good race—and it’s just heating up.
What Are Andy Kim’s Policies?
- Andy Kim is pro-choice, opposing the overturning of Roe v. Wade
- He supports expanding the federal budget to expand social safety nets such as Medicare
- Kim wants to enforce campaign finance regulations, such as contributions from corporations and wealthy individuals
- Kim supports increasing federal spending as a means to grow the economy
- He has repeatedly expressed the expansion of clean and renewable energy
You can read more about Representative Andy Kim’s policy positions here.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
