Ocean might be one of the reddest counties in New Jersey, but the total number of votes cast there in the 2020 Democratic primary ranks 11th in the state and higher than blue counties like Passaic and Somerset.
So when Ocean County Democratic insiders meet on March 10 to award their organization line for the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, it’s significant that Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) is the presumed frontrunner against First Lady Tammy Murphy.
Kim represented a large part of Ocean County during his first four years in Congress before a Democratic map drew some of the heavily Republican municipalities out of the 3rd district and replaced them with more Democratic terrain. While Kim lost Ocean twice in general elections, he built relationships among Democratic county committee voters and rank-and-file constituents.
“Six years ago, I won a congressional district that many said was impossible for a Democrat to win because it included Ocean County, the most Republican part of New Jersey,” said Kim. “I won because we built a campaign focused on delivering real results for the people.”
In a race where Kim is viewed as the outside against Murphy, he’s arguably the establishment candidate in Ocean. He’s expected to have party support in the county’s two largest municipalities: Toms River, where his district director, Ben Giovine, was the Democratic mayoral candidate last year; and Brick. Both towns were in Kim’s district for his first two terms.
Earlier today, Kim released endorsements from sixteen municipal Democratic committees and Democratic clubs in Ocean County, including party organizations in large towns like Lacey, Stafford, and Manchester.
“Ocean County and the State of New Jersey need a seasoned leader to navigate these stormy seas; it’s why we’re proud to endorse Andy Kim to be our next Senator,” said Democratic Club of Waretown President Pat Kennedy. “We know Andy because he represented us in Congress for four years. He showed up when others wouldn’t, delivered when others couldn’t, and won races nobody thought possible. He’s the real deal. We know him, and we trust him to do the right thing for us in the Senate.”
Four years ago, Ocean County produced 43,469 votes, with 44% of Democrats turning in an all-VBM primary. In 2016, 36,887 Democrats voted in the primary election, with turnout at 49%.
Turnout among Ocean County Democrats in a presidential year – even if the nomination is clinched – is significantly higher.
As a point of comparison, Ocean turned out 15,938 Democrats in the 2021 primary, 17,513 in 2022, and 14,181 in 2023.
Kim’s grassroots endorsements today came from the Township of Ocean Democratic Municipal Committee, Waretown (Township of Ocean) Democratic Club, Lacey Democratic Municipal Committee, Lacey Democratic Club, Stafford Democratic Municipal Committee, Democratic Club of Stafford Township, Barnegat Democratic Municipal Committee, Barnegat Democratic Club, Point Pleasant Beach Democratic Municipal Committee, Point Pleasant Beach Democratic Club, South Toms River Democratic Municipal Committee, South Toms River Democratic Club, Beachwood Democratic Club, Manchester Democratic Club, Democratic Coalition of Ocean County, and Surf City Democratic Municipal Committee.