New Jersey Senate Race: Why Andy Kim Must Replace Bob Menendez as New Jersey’s Next Senator

Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) pictured with U.S. Army Lt. Col. Ryan Smith on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. on Feb. 03, 2020. Photo by Spc. Michael Schwenk. 

After 49 years in public office, New Jersey’s senior senator Bob Menendez is facing the fight of his life. On Friday, September 22nd, federal prosecutors in the United States Southern District of New York, led by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, indicted Senator Menendez and his wife Nadine Menendez on federal corruption charges. Among other alleged illegal activities, Senator Menendez has been charged with directing federal aid and weapons sales to Egypt in exchange for over $500,000 in cash bribes, 13 bars of gold bullion, and a Mercedes-Benz sports car. Within 3 days, over half of the sitting Democratic senators called on Menendez, the longtime chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to resign his seat—including New Jersey’s own junior senator, Cory Booker. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and scores of Democratic elected officials in Menendez’s home state have also called on him to step down. Senator Gary Peters, the chair of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, argues that, “While Senator Menendez deserves to have a fair legal process, given the serious nature of these charges and how they have undermined the public's faith, he is no longer able to serve effectively in the U.S. Senate.” Nevertheless, Senator Menendez has maintained his refusal to step down or end his campaign for reelection in 2024. This turmoil unfolding within the New Jersey Democratic Party is very likely to additionally alter party politics in Washington and the general political landscape nationally. 

Not only would it be a major electoral liability for Democrats to put forth Senator Menendez as their nominee, but in a time of increasing political corruption and anti-democratic behavior, continuing to associate with Senator Menendez would fuel the erosion of our nation’s democratic institutions. For the New Jersey Democratic Party and New Jersey voters to allow Senator Menendez to keep his seat amidst these charges would also be profoundly hypocritical: so much of Democrats’ arguments against former President Donald Trump, the leading contender in the Republican Presidential race in 2024, are rooted in his assault on democratic norms and the alleged illegal behavior for which he faces 91 felony counts in four separate jurisdictions. New Jersey is the only state in the nation that allows county party organizations to control ballot structure, with entrenched incumbents or preferred candidates placed in a preferential column. Analysis by the Princeton University Journal of International and Public Affairs has found that this results in increased rates of party-line voting and greatly disadvantages challengers to incumbents. While this practice of controlling ballot structure is anti-democratic, since all candidates are deeply reliant upon the support of party leaders in each county, this unique process grants these local officials the power to take a stand against Menendez’s corruption by granting New Jersey Congressman Andy Kim, not Menendez or their mutual opponent New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy, the coveted position in the Democratic column.

Menendez’s fall from grace offers a tremendous opportunity for Democrats to stand by their commitment to defend democracy. Additionally, an opening in Menendez’s seat presents a rare chance for New Jersey Democrats, a state historically known for its corruption, to disrupt the Senate with a fresh face committed to the people. Just one day after U.S. Attorney Damian Williams indicted Senator Menendez on federal corruption charges, Congressman Andy Kim, a third-term Democrat who represents the Trenton suburbs, exhibited great moral courage and risked his political career by announcing a bid to challenge Senator Menendez rather than run for re-election to represent New Jersey’s 3rd district. Kim exhibited great courage when he declared his campaign before consulting the state Democratic party organization or party leaders in Washington. In a state where party organizations wield so much influence, continuing to spurn the party—as Menendez too has done—may backfire for Kim, as a void has opened that he should aim to fill. Nevertheless, because of Kim’s background, temperament, values, and expertise, nominating Kim to the Senate in 2024 is essential for New Jersey voters and the American public. 

Known as a soft-spoken, policy and district-oriented representative, Congressman Kim’s elevation to the Senate would provide a unique and necessary counterweight to the ongoing erosion of American democracy. In the wake of the brutal assault on the U.S. Capitol by protesters incited by former President Trump and his false claims of election fraud, Kim gained national media acclaim for a viral image of him on his hands and knees cleaning up debris on the floor of the Capitol Rotunda. The son of Korean-American immigrants who left their home in search of a strong and safe nation, Kim believed it his duty in “love of country and service to this country” to be a “caretaker” of security and democracy for his own children. Kim’s image as a guardian of democracy is central to his political identity and would change party dynamics in Washington by bolstering Democrats against political extremists. This would not only benefit Democrats electorally, but could benefit all citizens—including his constituents in New Jersey—by ensuring that their democratic rights are defended against extremism. 

Throughout his time in Congress, Representative Kim has been known for his tough and measured approach to policy-making. Kim has shied away from the divisive rhetoric espoused by so many elected officials on both sides of the aisles and has instead prioritized his service on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees. Kim has developed an unparalleled expertise in foreign affairs and diplomacy: Kim studied International Relations as both a Rhodes and Truman scholar, served as a civilian advisor in Afghanistan to General David Petraeus on behalf of the U.S. State Department, and served as a national security advisor to President Barack Obama while serving as a U.S. National Security Council official. In perhaps the most crisis-ridden time in recent memory—as the United States confronts Russia’s assault on liberal democracy in Ukraine, the greatest intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in decades, an increasingly stronger Chinese military that threatens Taiwan, and the ongoing fallout of the U.S.’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan (where Kim himself served and intimately understand the dynamics)—Representative Kim’s insights would be an invaluable addition to the Senate. In particular, Kim would provide great value to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, previously chaired by Senator Menendez—who himself never served in the military or as a diplomat. 

On another front, recent polling from Pew has found that nearly 80% of Americans support placing age limits on elected officials: it is clear that Americans are dismayed by the fact that their country is increasingly becoming a gerontocracy run by career politicians who lack expertise. With only five senators currently under the age of 50, Kim, at just 41, could energize younger voters in New Jersey and across the country, especially against such a deeply entrenched, unpopular, and corrupt incumbent. Experts like John Della Volpe, the director of polling at the Harvard Youth Poll, has found that in the 2022 midterms, if young voters had not voted for Democratic House candidates 28% more than they voted for Republican candidates, the election would have been a red wave nationally. Therefore, maintaining and increasing turnout among young voters is essential for Democrats, and the opportunity to elect a millennial senator is very likely to excite New Jersey’s Gen Z population.  

Lastly, Representative Kim’s election to the Senate would diversify the chamber and could potentially help the Democratic party unleash the voting power of Asian-Americans and young voters, both extremely underrepresented groups. Asian-Americans are disproportionately underrepresented in Congress: despite Asian-Americans constituting 7.3% of the United States population, they only make up 3.4% of Congress. If elected to the Senate, Kim would be just the third sitting Asian-American senator.  Asian-Americans are even more underrepresented in New Jersey than they are nationally: despite constituting 11% of New Jersey’s population—which is a 44% increase since the 2010 census—no Asian-American had ever been elected to Congress from New Jersey before Kim. Kim is uniquely positioned to leverage his great passion for his identity as an Asian American to tap into this growing voting demographic and secure support from many members of his community, shifting demographic party politics in the Democratic Party’s direction. Channeling this support is critical for the Democratic Party in New Jersey, as support for Democrats has decreased in recent years. In 2021, Governor Murphy beat his Republican opponent by a 12% smaller margin than he did in 2017, additionally suggesting that support for the Murphy family is especially waning in the state.  

It is clear that New Jersey’s Democratic Party is in a moment of crisis. Already threatened by increasing gains among Republicans, Senator Menendez’s corruption indictments have offered a tremendous opportunity for Republicans to win the race for the Senate. To solidify their standing and make gains in the state, the New Jersey Democratic Party must throw their support behind Representative Kim. Because of his strength as a legislator, his brilliance in foreign affairs, and his dignity, Andy Kim’s election to the Senate would not only benefit the Democratic Party, but the entire American public. 

Aidan Hunter (CC’27) is a staff writer at CPR planning to study political science and history. He is from Tenafly, New Jersey and is especially interested in political developments in his home state.