After months of publicly considering a campaign for U.S. Senate, former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) withdrew his name from contention today and announced that he is instead endorsing Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), his former House colleague and fellow Obama administration alum.
“Andy Kim has all the qualities we should be seeking in these difficult times,” Malinowski said in a statement. “He is a person of unquestionable character who clearly has the experience to be an effective Senator. He has spent his entire career in public service, as a member of Congress and as a national security official in the Obama administration. Having worked closely with him in both capacities, I know he has earned the opportunity to represent us, and that he’s done so in all the right ways.”
Malinowski, who lost re-election in the swingy 7th congressional district in 2022, also said that he won’t run for the U.S. House this cycle, ending speculation that he may make a late comeback for his old congressional seat.
He’s the first current or former New Jersey member of Congress to endorse Kim for the seat currently held by indicted Senator Bob Menendez; six of Kim’s current New Jersey House colleagues are instead backing his main primary opponent, First Lady Tammy Murphy. Murphy also has support, and the promise of eventual county organizational lines, from many of the state’s top Democratic party leaders, a behind-the-scenes process which Malinowski subtly criticized.
“How we choose our Senate nominee this year also matters,” Malinowski said. “Given the stakes, I’m confident that the only consideration for Democratic voters will be to pick the person best qualified to defend our interests and ideals in Washington. That should also be the only consideration for those who award the party line on the primary ballot… [Local party leaders] should do what their constituents believe is right for our state and for our country, without fear or favor.”
While the Democratic organizational line in some counties has already been decided by fiat, Kim stands a good chance of winning party support against Murphy at many of the state’s more small-d democratic county conventions. Those chances are better with Malinowski not in the race to split the vote with Kim, though two other candidates, Larry Hamm and Patricia Campos-Medina, are also running as progressive outsiders.
By backing Kim, Malinowski could boost his campaign in Hunterdon, Somerset, Morris, Warren, and Sussex Counties, which Malinowski represented in Congress and which all have open county convention processes. Malinowski remains popular among rank-and-file Democrats in his home turf, making him a valuable Kim surrogate.
Malinowski and Kim were both elected in 2018 by defeating Republican incumbents, making them two of the 43 Democrats who helped flip the House that year. Even after taking office, they – relatively uniquely among New Jersey House members – never became closely enmeshed with the county parties and power brokers that are now pushing Murphy’s campaign.
A few hours after Menendez was indicted on federal corruption charges last September, Kim became the first notable New Jersey Democrat to say the senator should resign; Malinowski followed suit shortly after. They were two of the only state politicians to do so before Gov. Phil Murphy, whose call for Menendez’s resignation opened the floodgates for other Democrats to abandon the senator.
See here for a full list of endorsements in New Jersey’s 2024 congressional contests.