[New York Diary] "A Grenade in American Politics": Korean-American Andy Kim's Challenge

"Andy Kim has thrown a grenade into the New Jersey political machine." (The Washington Post, USA)

"Andy Kim can be seen in the exact opposite light of so-called political machines. He is honest, diligent, and trustworthy." (The Hill, a US political media outlet)

This is the evaluation by local media of Korean-American politician Andy Kim, a U.S. Representative from New Jersey (Democratic Party), who is challenging for the U.S. Senate seat in the upcoming November election. Last week, U.S. media outlets uniformly featured Andy Kim prominently in major articles. They focused on his success story, highlighting how he challenged and overcame entrenched politics and is now likely to be nominated as the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from New Jersey.

Andy Kim’s political career in the federal legislature spans about five years and has been a continuous series of challenges. In 2018, he narrowly won the House seat for New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district, entering Congress by taking over a district that the Republican Party had held for nearly 100 years, gaining national recognition. He then secured re-election in 2020 and 2022, establishing his position. The media began paying renewed attention to him late last year when U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (Democratic Party, New Jersey) was indicted on bribery charges. Andy Kim was the first to declare his candidacy for the Senate. Although his federal legislative experience is short at five years, he immediately threw down the gauntlet with the conviction that money politics and entrenched interests must be overcome and politics returned to the people.

Nonetheless, the prevailing view was that it would be difficult for Andy Kim to be selected as the Democratic nominee for the Senate. This was because he had to compete against Tammy Murphy, the wife of the New Jersey governor, who was aiming for Menendez’s seat. Murphy had the advantage of being the governor’s spouse, along with superior financial resources and control over the Democratic Party organization, all of which put Andy Kim at a disadvantage. However, Andy Kim adopted a strategy targeting Democratic voters disillusioned with the existing political establishment, and last month he won the Monmouth County Democratic convention?Murphy’s longtime stronghold?by an 18 percentage point margin. Not stopping there, he criticized the old practice of placing the party leadership’s preferred candidate’s name at the top of the ballot, attacking entrenched politics. Ultimately, on the 24th, Murphy announced her withdrawal from the New Jersey Democratic primary. With Murphy’s withdrawal, Andy Kim moved one step closer to becoming the first Korean-American elected to the U.S. Senate. The New Jersey Senate seat has been held by Democratic candidates for the past 50 years.

The Washington Post, introducing Andy Kim’s case, stated, "Something remarkable is happening in New Jersey politics," and evaluated that "(Menendez’s) brazenness may have actually opened the door to reforming a political culture that is one of the last bastions of the old political machine." They portrayed Andy Kim as the right person to reform entrenched politics. The Hill reported, "As grassroots support for him grows, he is establishing a new base for his challenge."

As Andy Kim’s chances of being nominated for the U.S. Senate increase, expectations are rising not only within the Korean-American community in the U.S. but also in South Korea, where people are watching closely. The U.S. Senate elects 100 members, two from each state, which is far fewer than the 435 seats in the House of Representatives. The Senate term is six years, longer than the House’s two years, giving it greater authority and power. Many U.S. Senators are also prominent presidential contenders. Therefore, electing the first Korean-American U.S. Senator carries significant symbolic meaning. Andy Kim’s challenge, having thrown a grenade into entrenched politics and the political establishment, is drawing attention as to whether it will succeed.