This weekend, Congressman Andy Kim had a massive win in Monmouth County, winning the county Democratic Convention with a commanding lead of 57 percent of the vote—18 points higher than Tammy Murphy’s 39 percent.
“Congressman Andy Kim’s victory in Monmouth County continues to prove that voters are rallying around his grassroots movement to strengthen and protect our democracy,” said End Citizens United // Let America Vote President Tiffany Muller. “As his people-powered campaign gains momentum across the state, New Jerseyans know they can trust him to fight for the issues that matter most to them. This win is just the beginning.”
See what New Jerseyans are reading:
New York Times: Andy Kim Wins a Vote Rich in Symbolism in Race to Replace Menendez
Tracey Tully
02/10/24
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Mr. Kim, who heading into Saturday’s vote was perceived as the underdog, said he hoped the victory would generate momentum as he continues to make his case in the state’s other 20 counties that he is the Democrat best prepared to replace New Jersey’s embattled senior senator, Robert Menendez.
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“If we can win here, where they’ve lived for decades here, I think it sends a very strong message across all of the counties,” Mr. Kim said about Ms. Murphy and her husband, Gov. Philip D. Murphy, who have lived in Red Bank, N.J., for about 25 years.
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“The energy that we have is real, and it should not be underestimated,” Mr. Kim said.
New Jersey Monitor: Key vote in U.S. Senate race should lead Dem insiders to revisit their coronation plans
Terrence T. McDonald
02/10/24
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But Kim’s victory in Monmouth portends something dangerous for Murphy and for her party: party leaders largely back Murphy, but rank-and-file Democrats may prefer Kim. Dangerous for her because if there’s little genuine enthusiasm for Murphy, what happens when voters go to their polling places in June? Dangerous for her party because if Murphy wins June’s primary entirely because Dem insiders rig the game for her, what happens in November when the U.S. Senate race has a Democrat people don’t want to vote for?
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Kim certainly sees it this way.
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“What I think this very clearly does is shows that there’s nothing inevitable about this race, there’s nothing inevitable. There’s no sense that anybody is destined to be able to win this thing and this confirms what I’ve always felt, which is that we’re the campaign that has the momentum, that we’re the campaign that has the energy,” he told reporters Saturday.
Politico: Andy Kim sinks first lady Tammy Murphy in NJ Senate race’s first Democratic convention
Daniel Han
02/10/24
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Kim won the contest in a blowout, winning 56.8 percent of the vote. Murphy won 38.8 percent while another candidate, progressive labor activist Patricia Campos-Medina, won 4.2 percent. There were 466 votes cast.
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Kim, speaking with reporters after the vote, said he came into the contest and “legitimately did not know” what the outcome would be.
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“It shows there’s nothing inevitable about this race,” Kim said. “There’s nothing inevitable. There’s no sense anybody is destined to be able to win this thing. It confirmed what I’ve always thought — we’re the campaign that has the momentum.”
New Jersey Globe: Kim beats Murphy at Monmouth Democratic convention
Joey Fox
02/10/24
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Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) has won the first-in-the-state Monmouth County Democratic convention, defeating First Lady Tammy Murphy in a hugely consequential vote that could reshape New Jersey’s intense Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.
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With hundreds of local party leaders and elected officials gathering in Long Branch today, Kim received 265 votes to Murphy’s 181, a margin of 57% to 39%.
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“This is what we’re feeling all over the state,” Kim said shortly after the results were announced. “It’s good to see it actually in numbers here. What we’re seeing here in Monmouth County, the energy that we see in this room, we’re seeing in 20 other counties across the state. We’re fired up, and we’re ready to get to June 4th.”
New Jersey Globe: Nine takeways on Andy Kim’s big Monmouth convention win
David Wildstein
02/10/24
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Andy Kim’s outsized 57%-39% victory at the Monmouth County Democratic convention today was a big deal of Goliathan proportions as he attempts to wrestle his party’s nomination for U.S. Senate away from the choice of the most powerful leaders of his party, First Lady Tammy Murphy.
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Both sides thought the race would be closer, and Kim’s 84-vote margin was unforeseen. But here are some takeaways as New Jersey continues through the convention season:
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Kim is clearly connecting with grassroots and lower-level establishment Democrats, and Murphy is not. Today’s electorate wasn’t made up of outsiders; delegates were county committee members (aka precinct leaders for non-New Jerseyans) and local elected officials. Both candidates had a foothold in Monmouth: Kim has represented ten of its towns in Congress, and Murphy lives there.
Insider NJ: Kim Wins Monmouth
Fred Snowflack
02/10/224
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In a stunning repudiation of the Murphys in their home county, upstart progressive Dem Andy Kim, congressman from Burlington County, this afternoon won the Monmouth County Democratic Convention.
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“The results here today represent what we’re seeing throughout our state; we are building a movement for change in New Jersey and that movement cannot be stopped,” said Kim. “This was the First Lady’s home county; winning by such a significant margin shows that Democrats are demanding someone they can trust and someone with proven experience. We’re going to keep fighting in every county for every vote and to make sure we restore integrity.”
Bergen Record: What’s next for Tammy Murphy’s Senate campaign after losing on her home turf?
Charles Stiles
02/11/24
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But in a stunning rebuke, the pitch to her hometown county failed to win over the majority of the 466 voting committee members, who gave their endorsement to upstart Andy Kim, a Burlington County congressman who is seeking to tap grassroots discontent with the Democratic Party’s closed-door nominating process ― and with Murphy’s candidacy.
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Kim captured 265 votes, or 57% of the vote, with Murphy grabbing 181 votes, or 39%, and Patricia Campos-Medina, a Latina activist, winning 20 votes, or 4%.
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But Saturday’s victory calls into question whether the top-down management of those big Democratic counties can wield enough power to avert Kim’s insurgency. A first-time candidate for office, Murphy, they argued, benefited from the enormous power at her husband’s disposal ― the ability to shut down appointments, patronage, funding and legislation that many of the county leaders covet. Several also are lobbyists whose firms have business before the state government.
Gothamist: Rep. Andy Kim trounces NJ first lady Tammy Murphy in key contest to replace Menendez
Nancy Solomon
02/10/24
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Rep. Andy Kim defeated first lady Tammy Murphy on her own turf at the Monmouth County Democratic Committee convention on Saturday, garnering more than enough votes to get plum placement on county ballots for the Democratic primary to replace Sen. Bob Menendez in June.
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“I’m really heartened by just the turnout that we had here – that is incredible,” Kim said after the vote. “If we can win here, where they’ve lived for decades, I think that sends a very strong message across all of the counties that the energy that we have is real and it should not be underestimated.”
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A recent poll showed Kim had a double-digit lead over Murphy, but Saturday’s convention was the first actual vote to take place.
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