Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) squarely put some of the blame for seismic changes to New Jersey’s political landscape on the embattled incumbent, Bob Menendez, after a federal judge today ordered the temporary end of organization lines and the use of office block ballots.
“This race has unfolded in a lot of twists and turns, starting with the indictment of the senator, so this whole circumstance that this kind of led us to this moment,” Kim said. “A lot of these a lot of these actions have, have kind of exposed just how problematic this county line system is.”
Kim said the “sheer scrutiny” of local and national media attention about the state’s unique county line system contributed to its possible demise.
“I think this was one of the clearest examples of just how the line can be used in an unfair way, and so I think it made for a very clear story that just really helped crystallize this for a lot of people,” the three-term congressman said. “It’s something that brought it out into the public beyond just kind of the deep political inside world in New Jersey. It really kicked the doors open for all of the public in New Jersey and, frankly, the country to see.”
Now the overwhelming favorite to win his party’s Senate nod after Tammy Murphy dropped out of the race less than a week ago, vowed to remain involved in a lawsuit to abolish organization lines, but stopped short of committing to pay the legal expenses.
“I can assure you is I will stay in this fight. I’m going to see this through this again. This wasn’t just about my race, and I hope people saw that,” Kim said. “The fact that I continued the lawsuit. I want to see this through. I want to see permanent change, and I will do everything I humanly can to be able to make sure that that permanent change comes through, and it comes through in the right way, and that it is something that is truly what the people deserve, and I will do everything that I can to try to get there.”
Earlier today, U.S. District Court Judge Zahid Quraishi rejected organization lines for the 2024 primary election and ordered county clerks only to use office block ballots.
Kim said he used his campaign account to fund the lawsuit, which originated in 2020 and appeared dormant for much of last year until he rescued it in February to boost his chances of winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
But a 32-day emergent action costs significantly less than taking the case through trial and appeals, so Kim wasn’t ready to say he’d foot the entire legal bill.
“This is something I’ve already invested quite a lot into, and I feel very strongly about that,” Kim said. “I don’t fully understand all the dynamics of what comes next. I need to look through that.”
Quraishi’s preliminary injunction applies just to the upcoming June 4 primary.
“There needs to be a longer-term solution to this, and I anticipate that there will be people who will try to find some way to preserve some of the status quo power,” Kim said. “I will certainly do everything I can to fight back against that.”
“I think that’s going to completely miss the moment, and that will just only further in the eyes of the public, only further in the eyes of the public how out of touch some of these party leaders and institutions are from what we deserve,” he said.
“Jersey politics is changing, and there’s nothing that they can do to hold it back, and so I’m going to certainly make sure that the public is and the grassroots and the energy that’s out there is going to be sustained,” stated Kim. “I think that you’re going to see a lot of legislators have to adapt to the new ballots, and they’re going to feel pressure from the voters to be able to follow through on this.”
Kim also wasn’t ready to say if he would continue to use county Democratic organization slogans now that Quraishi has struck down lines for his primary.
“I haven’t really thought that through,” Kim said. “I was just so focused on the actual bracketing elements of this all because that’s the main argument that I’ve made in terms of where unfairness comes in.”
Kim said the case hinged on showing the disadvantage that comes with not being on the line, as well as forced association.
“I said in the courtroom, ‘All I want to do is run for Senate, and I don’t want to have to associate with all these different candidates all up and down the ballot,” Kim said. “Freedom of association should also mean freedom to not associate with people I don’t want to be on the line with.”