With six major candidates battling for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2025, few endorsements will be as valuable as that of Senator Andy Kim, who assembled a surprising grassroots coalition this year to beat back New Jersey’s Democratic establishment and win a seat in the Senate. And Kim said today that he does plan on playing a role in the race – but he’s not quite sure yet what form that will take.
“I would likely get involved, I just don’t know how yet,” Kim said. “I have opinions, and I have thoughts of who I can work with better than others. At some point, I’ll make that known. I’d like to be thoughtful about it and not shoot from the hip.”
The gubernatorial candidate most obviously aligned with Kim is Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who has similarly fought against the power of the New Jersey Democratic machine and who teamed up with Kim earlier this year in a lawsuit against the party-friendly county line ballot design. Fulop initially supported First Lady Tammy Murphy in the Democratic primary for Senate, but he later dramatically switched his endorsement to Kim; he was the only one of the six announced gubernatorial candidates to support the then-congressman prior to Murphy’s exit.
But Kim could have synergy with a number of other contenders, too. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s campaign has taken on a similarly anti-establishment bent as he fights for the field’s progressive lane; Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly) and Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) both served with Kim in the House for six years; and former State Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) is the lone candidate from Kim’s home of South Jersey (though given the South Jersey Democratic organization’s antipathy to Kim, that may not be a point in his favor).
Kim said that he’s ultimately interested in making the reforms he’s pushed for a central part of the 2025 cycle, and finding a gubernatorial candidate who, if elected, would actually work to get some of those reforms enacted.
“Writ large, part of me wants to be somebody that tries to exert some influence to push the candidates as a whole to be thinking more about some of these reform ideas,” he said. “I’m closely watching how these different candidates are reaching out and who they’re trying to bring into their coalition. Are they doing it in a way where I think that, if they win, they can actually implement some of this? Or is it mostly to win? I want someone that can build a coalition who can also govern.”
A Kim endorsement one way or another would be a break from the new senator’s strategy this year, which was to stay out of contested Democratic primaries across the state, including in his own 3rd congressional district. (Fellow Senator Cory Booker also remained neutral in many races, including the Senate race, but he did endorse Reps. Rob Menendez and the late Bill Pascrell for renomination.)
And given the stature Kim has built up over the course of the last year during his campaign for Senate, his endorsement could be more important than just about anyone else’s. With the fall of the county line, it’s not exactly clear how voters will react to traditionally important endorsements from local party leaders and power brokers, but Kim’s own political profile is formidable enough that he could single-handedly impact the course of the race.
Four current or incoming New Jersey House members have already announced endorsements in the 2025 contest: Reps. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) are both supporting Baraka, while Rep. Donald Norcross (D-Camden) and Rep.-elect Herb Conaway (D-Delran) are backing Sweeney.