[Report] US New Jersey Primary... Andy Kim Nears Becoming First Korean-American Senator

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"I came to vote for Andy Kim. If Andy Kim writes the history as the first Korean-American U.S. federal senator, the status of Korea and Asia in the United States will rise accordingly."

At 11:30 a.m. local time on the 4th, at the primary election polling station set up at Lindbergh Elementary School in Palisades Park, New Jersey, USA, Lee Eun-seok (51), a Korean American met at the polling station, said, "New Jersey is a place with strong Democratic support," and "If Andy Kim is nominated as the Democratic Senate candidate for New Jersey through this vote, he is expected to be easily elected in the November election." Kim, a Korean American woman in her 70s who has lived in New Jersey for nearly 40 years, said, "It is certain that Andy Kim will be nominated as the Senate candidate for the Democratic Party," adding, "Although the general election remains, it is amazing how the status of Korean Americans in the U.S. has risen so much." Especially in Bergen County, where many Korean Americans reside, and throughout New Jersey, signs reading "Andy Kim Senate (ANDY KIM SENATE)" have been easily found for about a month before the primary election, heightening expectations for the election of the first Korean-American federal senator.

On the 4th, when the primary election was held in New Jersey, USA, a sign reading "ANDY KIM SENATE" was installed in Bergen County, New Jersey. Photo by Haeyoung Kwon

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Andy Kim, U.S. Representative (Democratic Party, New Jersey), is expected to secure the Democratic Party nomination for the Senate election scheduled for November through the New Jersey primary election held that day.

There is growing confidence that once Kim secures the Democratic nomination, he will easily win the general election. The political media outlet Politico reported, "Andy Kim's (Senate) election is a foregone conclusion," adding, "Since the Republican Party has not won a U.S. Senate election in New Jersey since 1972, if Andy Kim wins the primary, he is likely to win the general election." If elected, he will become the first Korean-American senator and the first Asian American senator from the U.S. East Coast.

Kim is a three-term U.S. Representative from New Jersey. At the end of last year, as soon as incumbent Senator Bob Menendez (Democratic Party, New Jersey) was indicted on bribery charges, Kim was the first to declare his candidacy for the Senate. The possibility of Kim securing the Democratic nomination increased significantly after Tammy Murphy, a strong competitor, withdrew midway through the Democratic primary due to controversy over the influence of her husband, Phil Murphy, the current governor of New Jersey. However, a potential obstacle remains if Menendez runs as an independent in the November Senate election, which could split the Democratic vote.

Kim has been praised by mainstream U.S. media for breaking up money politics and entrenched interests, throwing a grenade at New Jersey's corrupt "political machine." After immediately challenging Menendez, who faced corruption allegations, Kim also filed a lawsuit against the "county line system," which places candidates supported by party leadership in a row at the top of the primary ballot, arguing it is unconstitutional. The court subsequently banned the practice.

Susan Rice, former White House National Security Advisor (then Foreign Policy Advisor) who observed Kim during his time as a foreign and security expert advising on the Iraq War at the White House during the Barack Obama administration, also declared her support for Kim. Rice praised Kim, saying, "When he finds something wrong, he rolls up his sleeves and tries to fix it."

The New York Times (NYT) reported, "No one saw Andy Kim coming," but added, "Now he has become the most likely candidate to win and is shaking up New Jersey politics for the future."

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