At a virtual press conference tonight, Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) addressed the exit of his chief opponent in the race for U.S. Senate, First Lady Tammy Murphy, and laid out his own campaign plans now that he’s the prohibitive favorite for the Democratic Senate nomination.
Most importantly, Kim affirmed that he still believes the county line – the New Jersey ballot design system that groups party-endorsed candidates together – should be abolished, even though he is now set to run on the line in every county in the state (save for Sussex and Salem Counties, which don’t have lines). Kim’s lawsuit asking for the line to be struck down is currently under deliberation by a federal judge.
“We don’t have a fair system,” Kim said. “I want to change it. But I’ve been participating in the conventions, even the conventions that I didn’t think were fair… I’m doing my best to try to win this nomination to be the Democratic nominee for Senate, but that doesn’t change how I feel about the system as a whole.”
“I’m still pursuing the legal case, and I’m hopeful that it will be successful,” he added.
By accepting county lines around the state, Kim is boxing out other Democratic candidates who are still running, most prominently Patricia Campos-Medina and Larry Hamm. When pressed on why they shouldn’t get the chance to run in a more balanced race, Kim said that – just as was the case when he won endorsements at county conventions – he’s willing to work within the system even as he tries to change it.
“If I don’t take lines, it gives my competitors an advantage,” he said. “That’s just the system as it is.”
Earlier today, Kim had a call with some Democratic chairs in counties that had previously endorsed Murphy; those chairs are now set to switch their support to Kim. Asked whether he discussed the county line lawsuit with them, or offered them anything in exchange for their support, Kim said no.
“[I told] the chairs, look, I’m prepared to step up here,” Kim said. “There’s so much concern about what we’re facing with the Republicans… What we’re trying to do in terms of preventing the Republicans from being able to take take control of the Senate, or Donald Trump getting into the White House – making sure that we can be as strong as possible to fight against that. Trying to show that strength and that unity is important.”
One person who stands to lose out from Kim’s decision to take previously pro-Murphy lines is Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who is running off-the-line against Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City) in the 8th congressional district and was likely hoping to bracket with Kim. Kim appeared with Bhalla at a Jersey City event last month, but said today that he isn’t making any endorsement in that race, at least for now.
“I haven’t really paid attention to that race just yet,” Kim said. “I’ve been laser-focused on my own race. What I will say is that candidates are the ones that make the pitch to the voters… I’m not going to comment on that today.”
Lastly, on Murphy herself, who has not yet endorsed Kim’s campaign: Kim said that they had a productive conversation today and that he had no intention of rushing her to make an endorsement.
“That’s a very personal decision,” he said. “We did not talk about that, nor did I ask for it. I felt like there was a lot happening today, and I wanted to be respectful. This was, I’m sure, a very difficult decision that she undertook, and so she will do what she thinks is best.”