Andy Kim defeats Tammy Murphy in early progressive endorsement vote

An influential progressive group has voted to endorse Andy Kim for the Democratic U.S Senate nomination in New Jersey,  giving the three-term congressman and former Obama White House staffer his first win in his bid to replace indicted incumbent Bob Menendez.

The South Orange and Maplewood-based SOMA Action gave Kim an 80.9%  first-ballot victory against First Lady Tammy Murphy and two other candidates in a week-long vote that ended this evening.  Murphy received 0% on the first ballot, and 95.6% of the group’s members ranked Kim first or second.

Lawrence Hamm, a former Newark school board member and  People’s Organization for Progress founder, and real estate investor Kyle Jasey, who grew up in South Orange, were also on the ballot.  Menendez was not.

Two write-in candidates, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) and former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes), received 1.5%.

Leaders of the organization had publicly supported Kim.  Some critics said the vote should have been pushed until after Murphy announced a Senate run and could have a chance to articulate her candidacy.

But Jessica James, the SOMA Action president, said that if activists waited too long, “party bosses would get to pick.

“The ‘County Line’ makes a fair and open primary election impossible,” James said. “Party insiders are welcome to endorse whomever they want, but structuring the ballot to virtually guarantee their anointed candidate’s victory shuts voters out of the process completely. The system desperately needs reform.”

The two Essex County municipalities combined have roughly 25,000 registered Democrats, more than Montclair and roughly double Princeton.  South Orange and Maplewood are high-performing voter turnout towns.

SOMA Action sent out ranked-choice ballots early last week – the deadline to return them was 5 PM today.  SOMA Action led a list of seventeen progressive groups across the state that called on Menendez to resign following his indictment on federal bribery and conspiracy charges.

“Andy Kim is a dedicated public servant with outstanding integrity and a strong, progressive track record,” James said.

Gov. Phil Murphy criticized the local school board last week for instituting a ban on Halloween celebrations during school hours to encourage “diversity, equity, and inclusion meaningfully.”

“Seriously?  We can’t let kids celebrate Halloween?  Give me a break,” Murphy said on social media.

Candidates needed to get two-thirds of the vote to win an endorsement.

Some prospective candidates who have not taken themselves out of the race were excluded from the SOMA Action ballot: Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch) and Donald Norcross (D-Camden), and former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes).

Tammy Murphy is expected to file her campaign committee this week in order to begin raising money.