New Jersey
Andy Kim says his win has changed Jersey politics 'forever.' Let's hope. • New Jersey Monitor
New Jersey Democrats had a terrible Election Day, but a bright spot for them occurred with Rep. Andy Kim’s victory in the U.S. Senate race.
Kim’s convincing win not only gave Democrats something to celebrate as they mourned the thumping Donald Trump gave the party nationwide, but it signaled what could be a new chapter for New Jersey politics — if our bosses don’t stand in the way.
“Let there be no doubt this is a new era of politics rising. The same old, same old is done, and we’ve shown New Jersey that there’s a better way,” Kim told cheering supporters in Cherry Hill Tuesday night.
Kim captured the seat that was once held for 18 years by Bob Menendez, a Hudson County Democrat who began his political career as a reformer but ended it after a bribery trial that exposed him as a cartoonishly corrupt pol, one with literal bars of gold he took from men who needed favors from him. From Menendez to Kim — what a glow-up for New Jersey.
That Menendez remained in the Senate for so long is an example of the same old, same old approach to politics Kim declared dead in his victory speech.
If our public officials cared more about what we think of them, Menendez would have been shamed into stepping down when his first corruption trial revealed the shady relationship he had with a major campaign donor and friend (the jury deadlocked). Instead, Menendez sought reelection to a second term anyway and launched that campaign in 2018 at a rally where powerful New Jersey Democrats like Gov. Phil Murphy and Sen. Cory Booker — who should have been pushing him into retirement — feted him as someone we could not live without.
Menendez eked out a primary victory, won a second term on the strength of New Jersey Democrats’ loathing of Donald Trump, and then spent that term participating in a new bribery scheme, this time with global actors. This led to indictment No. 2 in September 2023.
Kim has said the new charges inspired his bid to oust Menendez. And on Tuesday, he promised not to embarrass New Jersey the way Menendez did.
“I assure you I will give this everything I have and I will try and serve with honor and integrity. I promise you I will not lose myself along the way. I will anchor myself in the deep sense of public service that has guided me all these years,” he said.
The idea that Kim would ascend to the Senate seemed improbable from the start. He had arrived on the political scene way later than some other Democrats who probably thought they’d be next in line for the Senate seat. He wasn’t exactly beloved by New Jersey’s political establishment. And he soon found a primary rival — first lady Tammy Murphy — who had the support of so many Democratic Party officials that her victory seemed a fait accompli in a state where the party machine reigns.
Any other Democrat probably would have folded under the pressure of going against the wife of the sitting governor and every party boss in the state. But not only did Kim press on and emerge victorious — Murphy dropped out of the primary before a single vote was cast — he simultaneously led a court fight that put a stake through the heart of New Jersey’s notorious county line, a move that has the potential to limit the power of party bosses and make it easier for the next Andy Kim to replace the next Bob Menendez.
When Kim told his supporters Tuesday that they showed New Jersey there’s a better way, he was right. His candidacy proved to any person out there who wants to take on the political establishment that they can do it, too, and they can win without bending the knee to party bosses.
Kim told me Tuesday he thinks that because of his candidacy, “Jersey politics has changed forever.”
“We are entering a new era of politics in New Jersey. We don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like yet, but I’m going to play a very serious role and try to shape it,” he said.
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NewJerseyDevils.com is the official web site of the New Jersey Devils, a member team of the National Hockey League (“NHL”). NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2024 New Jersey Devils and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.
Today, more than 100 elected officials at the county and local levels from across New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District announced their endorsement of Mikie Sherrill for Governor of New Jersey. These leaders, from across Essex, Morris, and Passaic Counties, collectively released the following statement in support of Mikie Sherrill:
“For Mikie Sherrill, there’s no challenge too big and no problem too small. That’s why we’re thrilled to support her run for Governor of New Jersey.
“We represent communities across New Jersey’s 11th District, and we’ve had the privilege of working alongside Mikie Sherrill since as early as 2017. We’ve seen firsthand how she’ll never back down from a challenge, and how she’s willing to work with anyone, Democrat or Republican, to get things done for New Jerseyans. In times of crisis, she’s a leader – she makes tough decisions and she delivers.
“After Trump was elected in 2016, New Jersey needed real leadership, and Mikie Sherrill stepped up. In the three election cycles since, Mikie Sherrill has paved the way for strong Democratic leadership focused on results in every corner of the district. She’s helped elect Democratic mayors and council members – even in areas once taken for granted by the Republican Party. She listens to neighbors and community members, takes their concerns to heart, and will never back down when it comes to serving our state.
“Take, for example, the Gateway Tunnel. Mikie ran her first campaign on a vow to build the Gateway Tunnel, and, after years of broken promises, we were skeptical. Yet, she did just that – leading the fight to fund the Gateway Tunnel and secure a federal cost-sharing agreement that will allow us to get the project done without raising state or local taxes on families. And Mikie didn’t stop there – she continues to be a fearless advocate when it comes to holding New Jersey Transit and Amtrak accountable for the ‘summers of hell’ we’ve experienced year after year. She knows what it’s like for parents not to know if they will be able to make it back in time to pick up their children from daycare, or to be able to coach their kids’ soccer team.
“That’s just one of the big issues Mikie has tackled during her time in Congress, but we also know that she cares deeply about making life easier for our residents and cutting through the bureaucratic red tape that frustrates all of us. Mikie and her team are always a phone call or a text away. When our residents come to us needing help, we often tell them to reach out to Mikie and her staff. From ensuring local veterans get all of their health care benefits, to helping our seniors navigate Medicare or Social Security, to making sure the IRS gives you back every dollar you’re owed, Mikie will stop at nothing to ensure that every New Jerseyan who needs help gets it.
“Time and again, we’ve seen Mikie – a lifelong public servant – step up to make life easier for New Jersey families. As Governor, we know she’ll do exactly that, and we’re excited to support her every step of the way.”
Sincerely,
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.
Essex County Clerk Christopher J. Durkin
Essex County Sheriff-elect Amir Jones
Essex County Register Juan Rivera, Jr.
Essex County Commissioner President Carlos M. Pomares
Essex County Commissioner Vice President Tyshammie L. Cooper
Essex County Commissioner At-Large Patricia Sebold
Essex County Commissioner At-Large Romaine Graham
Essex County Commissioner At-Large Brendan W. Gill
Essex County Commissioner At-Large Wayne L. Richardson
Essex County Commissioner District 1 Robert Mercado
Essex County Commissioner District 4 Leonard M. Luciano
Passaic County Clerk Danielle Ireland-Imhof
Passaic County Sheriff-elect Thomas Adamo
Passaic County Commissioner Orlando Cruz
Passaic County Commissioner Bruce James
Passaic County Commissioner Pasquale “Pat” Lepore
Passaic County Commissioner-elect Rodney De Vore
Bloomfield Mayor Jenny Mundell
Bloomfield Councilwoman At-Large Monica Tabares
Bloomfield Councilwoman Third Ward Sarah Cruz
Glen Ridge Mayor Deborah Mans
Glen Ridge Councilor Ann Marie Morrow
Glen Ridge Councilor Rich Law
Glen Ridge Councilor Peter A. Hughes
Glen Ridge Councilor LoriJeane Moody
Glen Ridge Councilor David Lefkovitz
Glen Ridge Councilor Rebecca Meyer
Livingston Council Member Shawn Klein
Livingston Council Member Michael Vieira
Livingston Council Member Ketan Bhuptani
Maplewood Mayor Nancy Adams
Maplewood Deputy Mayor Jamaine Cripe
Maplewood Committeeperson Dean Dafis
Maplewood Committeeperson Victor De Luca
Maplewood Committeewoman-elect Malia Herman
Millburn Mayor Annette Romano
Millburn Committeeman Michael Cohen
Montclair Deputy Mayor Susan Shin Andersen
Montclair Third Ward Councilor Rahum Williams
Nutley Commissioner Thomas J. Evans
Roseland Mayor James R. Spango
Roseland Council President Christopher Bardi
Roseland Councilman John Biront
Roseland Councilwoman Eileen Fishman
Roseland Councilman Neal Goldstein
Roseland Councilman Marcelino “Moose” Trillo
Boonton Ward 2 Council Member Jacob Hettrich
Boonton Ward 2 Council Member Marie Devenezia
Chatham Borough Mayor Carolyn Dempsey
Chatham Borough Council President Jocelyn Mathiasen
Chatham Borough Council Member Justin Strickland
Chatham Borough Council Member Karen Koronkiewicz
Chatham Borough Council Member Brian Hargrove
Chatham Borough Council Member Irene Treloar
Chatham Borough Council Member Katherine Hay
Chatham Township Mayor Stacey Ewald
Chatham Township Deputy Mayor Michael Choi
Chatham Township Committeeperson Jen Rowland
Chatham Township Committeeperson Marty McHugh
Dover Mayor Mayor James P. Dodd
Dover First Ward Council Member Claudia P. Toro
Dover First Ward Council Member Sandra Wittner
Dover Second Ward Council Member Geovani Estacio
Dover Third Ward Council Member Michael Scarneo
Dover Third Ward Council Member Karol Ruiz
Dover Fourth Ward Council Member Arturo Santana
Dover Fourth Ward Council Member Marcos Tapia
Lincoln Park Ward III Councilman Patrick Antonetti
Madison Mayor Robert H. Conley
Madison Council President Eric Range
Madison Council Member Rachel Ehrlich
Madison Council Member Robert E. Landrigan
Madison Council Member Tom Haralampoudis
Madison Council Member Melissa Honohan
Madison Council Member John Forte
Mendham Township Deputy Mayor Lauren Spirig
Morris Plains Mayor Jason Karr
Morris Plains Council President Nancy Verga
Morris Plains Councilmember Joan Goddard
Morris Township Mayor Donna J. Guariglia
Morris Township Deputy Mayor Jeffery R. Grayzel
Morris Township Committeeman Mark J. Gyorfy
Morris Township Committeeman William “Bud” Ravitz
Morris Township Committeeman Siva S. Jonnada
Mountain Lakes Mayor Khizar Sheikh
Mountain Lakes Deputy Mayor Lauren Barnett
Mountain Lakes Councilmember Chris Cannon
Mountain Lakes Councilmember Cynthia Korman
Mountain Lakes Councilmember Tom Menard
Mountain Lakes Councilmember Melissa Muilenburg
Parsippany Councilwoman Judy Hernandez
Rockaway Township Ward 4 Councilman Jonathan Sackett
Rockaway Township Ward 5 Councilman Emanuel “Manny” Friedlander
Little Falls Mayor James Damiano
Little Falls Council President Anthony Sgobba
Little Falls Councilman Christopher Vancheri
Little Falls Councilwoman Christine Hablitz
Wayne Ward 5 Councilwoman Francine Ritter
Woodland Park Mayor Tracy Kallert
Woodland Park Council President Vincent DeCesare
Woodland Park Councilwoman Tina Gatti
Woodland Park Councilwoman Christine Tiseo
Woodland Park Councilman Michael Sica
Woodland Park Councilman Adam Chaabane
Woodland Park Councilman Luis Torres
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