From last year to mid-May this year, a total of 569 Korean Americans nationwide have donated $86,720 to New Jersey Democratic Senate candidate Andy Kim. This represents about 4.7% of the total donors, with some contributing multiple times, resulting in a total of 720 donations at an average of $120 per donation.
According to recent quarterly fundraising reports from the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Kim’s campaign raised a total of $7.86 million from January 2023 to May 15 of this year. The campaign expects the second-quarter report, due on July 15, to show an additional $2 million, bringing the total close to $10 million. The campaign has emphasized that this funding comes entirely from grassroots supporters, without contributions from major interest groups or organizations.
During this period, there were 14,624 total donations from approximately 12,000 donors to Kim’s campaign. Notably, many Korean American donors participated with modest contributions. Prominent figures from the Korean American community, including key Democratic personalities, executives of Korean companies based in the U.S., California-based entrepreneurs, as well as students and housewives from the East Coast, contributed amounts ranging from $50 to $500.
One donor, identified as Kim from Los Angeles, said his entire family donated $100 each, contributing a total of $400 to support the first Korean American Senate candidate. “We, including my children, are closely watching this election and hope for a significant victory that will make the Korean American community proud,” Kim said.
The support for Kim is concentrated among Democrats and minorities, with California leading in donations outside of New Jersey. In New Jersey, $2,146,905 was raised from 9,199 donations, while California saw contributions of $1,121,938 from 1,185 donations. New York followed with $1 million, and Washington, D.C., raised around $250,000.
On June 4, Kim secured the Democratic nomination for the New Jersey Senate race with 392,602 votes (74.8%) in the primary election. He will face Republican candidate Curtis Bashaw in the November general election. Bashaw, a wealthy real estate mogul and strong Trump supporter, received 144,869 votes (45.6%) in the primary.
Another potential factor in the race is the independent candidacy of incumbent Senator Bob Menendez, who is facing bribery charges. Menendez’s trial is set to begin in early August, and there is concern that if he garners sympathy or is acquitted, he could siphon votes away from Kim.
BY INSEONG CHOI, YOUNGNAM KIM [choi.inseong@koreadaily.com]
