Bob Menendez’s mudslide into political oblivion meant the Democratic Party that long backed him would have to find a successor. Two unlikely people stepped up and now find themselves in a genuinely competitive June 4th primary.
In what would become a convention season of stark contrast, U.S. Representative Andy Kim (D-3) of Burlington secured a critical win early when he won the backing of the Monmouth County Democratic Committee. That organization oversees the home base of his rival, First Lady Tammy Murphy of Monmouth and chooses its candidates by secret ballot, with all county committee members afforded a vote. On the same day, Murphy won the support of the Passaic County Democratic Committee by a show of hands by the municipal chairs only, not the rank-and-file members of the organization.
This would become a pattern throughout the season, as Kim mostly burnished support among progressive Democrats in areas undictated by public jobs, while Murphy secured the backing of top-down structures prolific with patronage.
Their record of county committee support so far:
Kim: Monmouth, Burlington, Hunterdon, Warren, Sussex, Ocean, Mercer
Murphy: Passaic, Bergen, Somerset, Union
After Kim got out to a robust lead, party insiders saw Bergen County as critical for the First Lady. The big, North Jersey organization runs a secret ballot convention, but also operates according to old school methods, and hinges on Bergen County Democratic Committee Chairman Paul Juliano’s relationship with the governor’s office. Murphy won Bergen, with Juliano essentially saving her campaign, and giving her a bounce into Somerset, another hand-vote county more similar to Passaic in terms of rules than, for example, Warren.
Even as the county line drama unfolded, Kim filed a federal lawsuit protesting the county line system as fundamentally unfair.
From InsiderNJ Columnist Fred Snowflack:
Kim, who is battling First Lady Tammy Murphy for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, contends that New Jersey ballots are generally designed to help candidates endorsed by county political leaders by putting them in favorable positions. In the case at hand, that would be First Lady Murphy.
The line will especially help Murphy in high population Democratic Party counties, like Bergen, Hudson, Essex, and Middlesex. Middlesex has its convention tonight, where Murphy, as she did in Bergen, will depend on the organization’s strong ties to the governor’s office. She expects to rack another win there, as critical as her backing in Bergen.
All the while, Kim continues to assemble a grassroots army angered by his party’s preferential treatment for the governor’s wife, a non-elected official, and by other candidates (among them, U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, Jr., son of the disgraced senator, in Hudson County) preferred by demonstrably anti-democratic organizations in the name of – what else – the Democratic Party.
As Kim presents himself as the good guy exposing an antiquated and unjust process of picking candidates, Murphy this week found an attack line on the heels of a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to ban Chinese communist party ownership of its interest in TikTok. Kim didn’t participate in the vote, the only absent member of the New Jersey delegation. Later, he told the New Jersey Monitor that, had he been present, he would have voted no on the bill.
Having absorbed a lot of punishment from Kim, Murphy allies treated the issue like their own disarming rapier thrust, exposing what they see as a hypocritical, mostly inexperienced guy trying to Bobby Kennedy bullhorn a revolution.
Other candidates in the Democratic Primary for the United States Senate continue to work for support, among them progressive activist Patricia Campos Medina and progressive activist Larry Hamm.
But the showdown for the stained Senate seat occupied by Menendez finally comes down to Murphy versus Kim, and simultaneously, to the party line versus the line’s abolition.
Here’s the question:
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In a recent InsiderNJ poll, voters were asked to compare and contrast the performances of two prominent political figures in New Jersey: Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy. Both Kim and Murphy have made significant impacts in their respective roles, but how do they stack up against each other?
Andy Kim, a Democrat, currently serves as the U.S. Representative for New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district. He was first elected to Congress in 2018, defeating incumbent Republican Tom MacArthur. Kim has been praised for his bipartisan approach to governance, working across party lines to address issues such as healthcare, infrastructure, and national security. He has also been a vocal advocate for veterans and military families, drawing on his own experience as a former national security advisor under President Barack Obama.
On the other hand, Tammy Murphy, also a Democrat, is the First Lady of New Jersey and an influential figure in her own right. She has focused her efforts on issues such as maternal and infant health, economic empowerment for women, and environmental sustainability. Murphy has been a strong supporter of her husband, Governor Phil Murphy, and has played a key role in shaping his administration’s policies and initiatives.
In the InsiderNJ poll, voters were asked to rate Kim and Murphy on a variety of criteria, including leadership, effectiveness, and transparency. The results showed that both Kim and Murphy received high marks across the board, with voters praising their dedication to public service and their commitment to making a positive impact on their communities.
However, there were some key differences in how voters viewed the two politicians. While Kim was seen as a strong leader with a clear vision for the future, Murphy was praised for her empathy and compassion towards those in need. Additionally, Kim was perceived as more transparent and accessible to constituents, while Murphy was seen as a unifying force within the Democratic party.
Overall, the comparison of Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy in the InsiderNJ poll highlights the strengths and weaknesses of both politicians. While they may have different approaches to governance, both Kim and Murphy have proven themselves to be effective leaders who are dedicated to serving the people of New Jersey. It will be interesting to see how their careers continue to evolve in the years to come.
