Andy Kim wins open New Jersey Senate seat by defeating Curtis Bashaw – NBC New York

Democratic U.S. Rep. Andy Kim was elected to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw. seat that opened when Bob Menendez resigned this year after federal sentence on charges of bribery.

Kim, a three-term congressman from the 3rd District in central New Jersey, becomes the first Korean American in the Senate. In a recent interview, he said the achievement would validate his parents’ decision 50 years ago to immigrate to the United States. He was the state’s first Asian American elected to Congress, defeating a Republican incumbent in 2018.

In his first media interview since declaring victory in the New Jersey Senate election, Democratic Rep. Andy Kim told NBC News he’s still taking it all into account.

“I’m here with mom and dad. I’m here with my wife, two sons – three generations in one room,” said Kim, 42. “It’s really hard to wrap your head around it, but I’m really proud of it.”

Kim said he hopes voters will see him as “a man who is trying to usher in a new era of politics.”

“We live in a time of so much distrust in government, and I really think it is a deep concern and a threat to our society,” Kim said. “That’s a big reason why I decided to run for Senate the day after the senator was indicted, because I felt like we needed to change course.”

A former Obama administration national security aide, Kim was a Rhodes Scholar and holds a Ph.D. from Oxford. He presented himself as a humble and hardworking official and gained national attention in 2021 when he was spotted cleaning the US Capitol after the January 6 uprising, he collects garbage.

His victory keeps Democrats firmly in control of his party. He is also expected to take over before January due to Menendez’s resignation. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said George Helmy, who is serving the remainder of Menendez’s term, will step down and the winner of Tuesday’s election will be determined.

Kim was first elected to Congress defeating Republican Tom MacArthur, an ally of former President Donald Trump. He has now been re-elected three times. During the campaign, Kim said he would oppose tax breaks for the rich and would support abortion rights.

Bashaw personally financed his campaign with at least $1 million, according to Federal Election Commission records. He won the GOP nomination in June when he defeated a Trump-backed challenger. As a first-time candidate, he served on several boards, including Stockton University and the state tourism commission.

Bashaw, 64, said he considers himself a moderate, noting that he supports abortion rights and is a married gay man.

“When my party is right, I will support it. But if my party is wrong, I will oppose it,” he said recently. “I am a moderate, common-sense person who will be the voice of New Jersey.”

As much as Bashaw challenged voters to see the difference between him and the GOP, he supported Trump, who was a lightning rod in the state.

Kim seized on this in a recent debate. During discussions about the president’s appointment should he be elected to the Senate, Kim questioned Bashaw’s insight based on Trump’s support.

“The only thing he approved was the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. And I think that from this we understand his judgment. And that’s something I deeply disagree with,” Kim said.

The Senate race got off to a chaotic start for Democrats. The party that controls the Legislature and governorship finds itself facing a second federal corruption trial against a sitting senator. Menendez was found guilty on bribery charges in which he traded his office for cash, gold cars and a luxury car, and resigned. But he denied the charges, as he did in a previous trial that ended in a hung jury.

However, this time the Democrats abandoned it. Kim launched his own race in defiance and rejection of Menendez the day after his indictment last fall.

But the path to the nomination was not easy. First Lady Tammy Murphy launched a campaign it was well funded and widely backed by insiders. Kim upended New Jersey politics when he sued in federal court to stop a practice that allowed party leaders to influence the way ballots were written, which many say favored preferred candidates. Judge in original ruling sided with Kim. Murphy dropped out of school and Kim won easily in June.