TRENTON, NJ – There’s bad news for U.S. Congressman Andy Kim. Kim, who was first to announce his bid to challenge indicted New Jersey U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, isn’t getting the reception he wanted from his own party. Weeks after an ambitious and energetic campaign launch, Governor Phil Murphy and his wife Tammy are raining on Kim’s parade.
First Lady Tammy Murphy’s U.S. Senate campaign received a significant boost with endorsements from four Democratic members of Congress in New Jersey. Representatives Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch), Donald Norcross (D-Camden), Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson), and Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark) announced their support for Murphy’s candidacy this week.
Murphy expressed her commitment to forming a wide-ranging coalition that mirrors the diversity of New Jersey. She praised the endorsing officials for their dedication to working families and their defense of state values in the national arena. Her campaign focuses on key issues like affordability, economic strength, women’s rights, and gun safety.
These endorsements carry additional weight as they favor Murphy over another Democratic colleague, Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), who has been a Congressional peer to Pallone, Norcross, Pascrell, and Payne for five years.
The endorsements, including those from North Jersey party chairs and influential state Democrats do not bode well for Andy Kim’s prospects of getting party lines on the November 2024 ballot.