U.S. Rep. Andy Kim delivered a tough — although largely symbolic — blow to Tammy Murphy’s U.S. Senate campaign this weekend, winning the backing of Murphy’s own home county’s Democratic convention.
Kim scored nearly 57% of the vote at the Monmouth County gathering, the state’s first Democratic convention of the primary election and an early test in Kim’s bid to replace embattled U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez. The defeat came as Murphy’s campaign has secured support from county party leaders elsewhere across the state, and even secured the backing of Passaic County on the same day of the convention.
Saturday’s convention in Long Branch included hundreds of party leaders along with rank and file committee members turning out to choose their preferred candidate for the June 6 primary. While a mostly symbolic event, some analysts said Kim’s win shows the momentum he continues to garner at the grassroots level, which could prove critical to going up against the party establishment.
“Don’t count [Murphy] out just yet,” said Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University. “On the other hand, I think what the Andy Kim camp is saying is that we can win grassroots, even in the machine counties, so don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
