The path to elect the first Korean-American U.S. senator is now clear.
Rep. Andy Kim’s top challenger, fellow Democrat Tammy Murphy, has suspended her campaign for a U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey. New Jersey is traditionally a Democratic stronghold, meaning that if Kim makes it through the party’s primary, he will be a virtual lock to win in the November election.
In a video message released to the media on March 24, Murphy’s campaign said that after conversations and consultation with her family and party leaders, she has decided to suspend her campaign and not file for the June 4 primary in New Jersey.
Murphy, the wife of current New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, decided to run after incumbent Senator Bob Menendez was indicted on corruption charges in August last year and declared her candidacy in November last year, three months later than Kim.
With the premium of an incumbent governor, Murphy has run a vigorous campaign, attracting the endorsements of key party officials and the mayors of New Jersey’s major cities, and she has outraised Kim’s campaign, raising a whopping $3.2 million in the first six weeks of the campaign.
But enthusiasm in Murphy’s camp cooled after a series of recent endorsements to Kim from party leaders in three key counties, including Kim’s 57 percent victory in a convention delegate vote in Murphy’s home county of Monmouth, which analysts believe represented a major shift in the party’s mood.
Murphy’s camp, which suspended its campaign altogether, emphasized party unity but did not immediately declare its support for Kim. According to local media outlets, the Murphy camp is likely to wait to see how Kim fares in the June primary before deciding whether to endorse him.
Murphy’s departure is expected to further accelerate Kim’s momentum. Barring any major upsets, Kim is expected to beat out three other candidates to become the party’s official nominee on June 4.
“I respect Murphy’s decision,” Kim said in a press release, “We will continue our efforts to strengthen our democracy in New Jersey.”
Kim was the first Korean-American elected to the New Jersey House of Representatives in 2018, winning a third term in 2022. If elected to the U.S. Senate, he will make history as the first Asian-American senator from the East Coast.
In addition, incumbent Menendez, who has been indicted on corruption charges, recently announced that he will not compete in the Democratic primary. He has maintained his innocence and has not ruled out the possibility of a November runoff as an independent. However, recent polls of his support hover between 6-8%.
BY BRIAN CHOI, HOONSIK WOO [ichoi@koreadaily.com]
