Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown)’s bid for the United States Senate has earned the endorsement of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), marking Kim’s second major labor endorsement since he launched his campaign.
“[Kim] understands the needs of everyday workers and respects the integral role that AFSCME members play in providing essential services to the people of New Jersey,” AFSCME New Jersey Council 63 Executive Director Steve Tully said in a statement. “We fight to ensure that promotional opportunities and career advancement for our members are based on merit, not on who you know. Congressman Kim has worked his way up through the ranks in government and is the best-qualified candidate in this race. Our members recognize and appreciate his support!”
The endorsement comes both from the overarching AFSCME union and from NJ Council 63, AFSCME’s New Jersey branch. The union, which represents a variety of public sector employees in state and local governments, has more than 20,000 members in New Jersey.
AFSCME’s endorsement is notable both because of the union’s political power and because of the identity of Kim’s main Democratic primary opponent: First Lady Tammy Murphy. Murphy’s husband, Gov. Phil Murphy, has long been allied with AFSCME, garnering the union’s endorsement in his contested 2017 primary and in his 2021 re-election bid.
However, AFSCME has since gotten into a dispute with Murphy related to pay gaps in state government. In October 2022, the union sued Murphy’s administration over a pay raise given to correctional officers, alleging that it was discriminatory against other state workers; the lawsuit was dismissed earlier this year.
Kim’s Senate campaign previously received the endorsement of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, while Tammy Murphy has the support of the Eastern Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters.
But many of New Jersey’s biggest unions, such as the New Jersey Education Association and the state branch of the AFL-CIO, have not waded into the race. That may be in part because most unions have robust relationships with both Murphy and Kim – and with U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, who is under federal indictment but who has not ruled out running for a fourth term.
Another Senate candidate, Patricia Campos-Medina, is herself a longtime labor figure who held positions at UNITE HERE and the Service Employees International Union.
See here for a full list of endorsements in New Jersey’s 2024 congressional contests.