Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) is slated to address the Democratic National Convention (DNC) tonight, giving the potential soon-to-be U.S. Senator the opportunity to introduce himself to the rest of the country after six years as a New Jersey congressman.
Kim’s speech is set to come at around 8:30 p.m. eastern time, and will focus on turning the page on the January 6, 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol. The congressman became well-known in the wake of the attack for cleaning up trash in the Capitol Rotunda, a quiet moment that was memorialized in a now-famous Associated Press photo.
Another New Jerseyan, Senator Cory Booker, is the DNC co-chair of the evening, and will address the convention as well. Also on the schedule are vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former President Bill Clinton, and dozens of others.
A former Rhodes Scholar and U.S. State Department official under President Barack Obama, Kim was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018, defeating then-Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-Toms River) in the swingy 3rd congressional district by less than 4,000 votes. His victory was one of four Democratic flips in New Jersey this year, and one of more than 40 nationwide that gave Democrats control of the House.
After U.S. Senator Bob Menendez was indicted on federal corruption charges last fall, Kim entered the race against him, quickly attracting a devoted following for his willingness to buck New Jersey’s traditional party-dominated political system. That following only intensified after First Lady Tammy Murphy entered the race and immediately received endorsements from nearly every top state Democrat, to the chagrin of Kim’s supporters (and the befuddlement of many national observers).
Murphy’s campaign struggled to gain traction, and after numerous high-profile setbacks at county party endorsement conventions around the state, she exited the race prior to the filing deadline; Kim went on to win the Democratic primary with 75% of the vote against two less prominent opponents.
Kim notched another major win when a federal judge ruled that the county organizational line, a ballot design system that Kim had decried for giving party-endorsed candidates an advantage, could not be used in this year’s Democratic primary. Further rulings on the long-term viability of the line are still pending, but if it’s ultimately ruled to be unconstitutional, Kim’s campaign gets much of the credit for forcing the issue into the spotlight.
Now, Kim is likely on track to be elected to the U.S. Senate; the only thing standing in his way is the general election against Republican Curtis Bashaw, which Kim is favored to win. As for Menendez, he resigned from the Senate earlier this week after being found guilty on all charges.
The Senate campaign has made Kim into a widely known, and for the most part widely liked, figure in New Jersey politics, but tonight’s DNC speaking slot will be Kim’s first chance to bring his message to a national audience.
It will also give Kim a chance to stump for Kamala Harris, whom he has strongly endorsed for president; he was the first New Jersey member of Congress to do so, less than an hour after President Joe Biden announced he was ending his campaign. As a former national security official and swing-district congressman, Kim could be an appealing surrogate for the Harris campaign. (New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a U.S. Navy veteran, has positioned herself as a potential Harris surrogate as well.)
If elected, Kim would also be the first Korean American to ever serve in the U.S. Senate, and the first Asian American senator from the East Coast. Harris herself would be the first Asian American president if she wins.
Kim isn’t the only New Jersey House member to get a slot at a national convention this summer; at last month’s Republican National Convention (RNC), Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis) spoke in support of former President Donald Trump, saying that Trump “has been [his] good friend” ever since his 2019 party switch. (Van Drew considered running for the U.S. Senate himself this year, but ultimately decided against it.)
Two other New Jerseyans not in elected office, Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue and Trump 2016 campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, also spoke at the RNC.
This story was updated at 7:05 p.m. with a correction: Kim will speak at around 8:30 p.m. eastern, not 9:30 p.m.