Kim has no preference on third district’s new lines

Rep. Andy Kim (D-Bordentown) doesn’t know what he’d like New Jersey’s third congressional district to look like after next year’s reapportionment.

“Honestly, I don’t really know this process yet in terms of how it all works, so I haven’t really turned my head to it. And I don’t have any ability to determine that, so I’m not really getting too involved in it,” he said. “Right now, especially just given how much we’re struggling right now, I just need 100% of my focus on Burlington County and Ocean County.”

The third district, perhaps more than any other in the state, is defined by the split between it’s two counties.

On one side, there’s Ocean County, a Republican stronghold that reliably delivers huge margins for Republican candidates.

On the other, is Burlington County, where the GOP had complete control as recently as 2017. Democrats now hold all five seats on the freeholder board there and successfully defended two freeholder seats this year.

Just as Ocean delivers huge margins for Republicans, Burlington does the same for Democrats. Kim’s district could be made safer by absorbing some Burlington County towns from neighboring districts — namely Palmyra and Maple Shade, which currently sit in the safely Democratic first district.

Shedding some heavily-Republican Ocean County municipalities, perhaps to the reliably Republican fourth district, would improve Kim’s chances at winning a third term in the House.