Andy Kim, Herb Conaway Make History in Senate, House Races
US Rep. Andy Kim. Photo courtesy of U.S. Rep. Andy Kim's Office.
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
ATLANTIC CITY – U.S. Rep. Andy Kim and NJ Assemblyman Dr. Herb Conaway both made history in a big way on Tuesday winning their elections for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, respectively.
Kim and Conaway made the biggest splashes for candidates of color in South Jersey as part of the nationwide general election. Kim, the Cherry Hill native, became the first Korean American to represent his state in the U.S. Senate in history.
Conaway, who represents much of Burlington County in the New Jersey Assembly, became the first Black to win the mostly South Jersey District 3 seat in Congress.
“This is a lot to process,” Kim said in his victory speech in Cherry Hill. “There have been few moments in my life where I feel the weight of the moment as I do now. Like a gravity generated by the magnitude of consequence in our country.”
Kim won more than 53% of the vote in beating his Republican challenger Curtis Bashaw. In fact, Kim ran two points higher in the state that Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kim thanked his supporters to taking the risk of joining him last year when he announced his candidacy for the seat while embattled veteran Sen. Bob Menendez was still in the race. He acknowledged they took a chance to stay with him when New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy joined the race.
Kim outlasted them both.
“Many of you took risk to join,” Kim said. “You had people doubt your choice to join our campaign. You worked long hours and struggled and stressed about the challenges we confronted.
“I hope you take pride in this moment. Whoever says young people don’t care about politics hasn’t met the young people that are the engine powering campaigns all over this nation.”
Kim has left the trail of doubters in his dust, first winning the District 3 seat that has long been a Republican stronghold by upsetting the incumbent in 2018. Many felt Kim was jumping the gun when he entered the race last year against Menendez after the veteran senator, but party favorite, was indicted on fraud charges.
“We’ve built something that epitomizes the grass roots,” Kim said. “I hope this experience has brought you closer to our democracy, that you have a deeper understanding of what it means to be a citizen. That you feel empowered.
“You’ve heard me say that line, that I believe the opposite of democracy is apathy. By extension that means that our campaign is the opposite of helplessness. I hope this moment is every bit as meaningful for you as it is for me.”
On Capitol Hill, Conaway risked his 20 year-plus tenure in the Assembly to win Kim’s seat. The physician who also has a law degree, said he entered the race as a counterweight to movement built by Donald Trump, who won a second term in the White House on Tuesday.
Conaway won nearly 53% of the vote in defeating his Republican challenger, cardiologist Rajesh Mohan.
“I am honored, humbled and extremely grateful to the voters of New Jersey District 3 for electing me to be your next Representative,” Conaway said on Facebook Wednesday. “Now more than ever, we need strong leadership in Washington and I promise to fight every day for the people of this district.”
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