Andy Kim (politician)

Andrew N. Kim (born July 12, 1982)[1] is an American politician and former diplomat serving as the U.S. Representative from New Jersey's 3rd congressional district.[2] The district stretches from the eastern suburbs of Philadelphia to the Jersey Shore.

Andy Kim
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 3rd district
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Preceded byTom MacArthur
Personal details
Born (1982-07-12) July 12, 1982
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Kammy Lai
EducationDeep Springs College
University of Chicago (BA)
Magdalen College, Oxford (MPhil, DPhil)
WebsiteHouse website

Kim is the first member of Congress of Korean descent in the Democratic Party and the second overall.[3]

Early life and career

Kim was born in Boston[4] to Korean immigrant parents. He was raised in the Marlton section of Evesham Township, New Jersey, and attended Rice Elementary School[5][6] before moving to Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and graduating from Cherry Hill High School East in 2000.[7] Kim attended Deep Springs College for two years before transferring to the University of Chicago, where he graduated in 2004 with a degree in political science.[8][9] During college, Kim was an intern at the United States Agency for International Development.[9] Kim later received a Rhodes Scholarship and a Harry S. Truman Scholarship to study international relations at Magdalen College, Oxford.[8]

Kim worked at the U.S. State Department. He served in Afghanistan as a civilian adviser to Generals David Petraeus and John R. Allen, before working as a national security adviser for the White House under U.S. President Barack Obama.[3] Kim served as a United States National Security Council official to Obama.[10]

Congress

2018 election
Main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey § District 3

A resident of Bordentown Township, New Jersey,[11] Kim ran in the 2018 United States House of Representatives election in New Jersey on November 6, 2018, after advancing from the June Democratic primary. Kim ran against two-term incumbent Republican Tom MacArthur, in a district that had been won by U.S. President Donald Trump in 2016. Kim was endorsed by former U.S. President Barack Obama,[12] former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden,[13] New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy,[14] and actress Piper Perabo.[15] Kim said he was inspired to run in reaction to MacArthur's efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.[16]

During the campaign, MacArthur sought to portray Kim as a D.C. elitist and outsider. In an ad run by the New Jersey Republican Party, Kim was described as "Real Fishy" in Wonton font on a picture of dead fish. The ad has been criticized for its racial undertones.[3]

The race was considered too close to call on election night. However, on the following night, an influx of absentee ballots in the Burlington County portion of the district, home to the majority of the district's voters, gave Kim a 2,500-vote lead, prompting Kim to declare victory.[17] MacArthur conceded defeat eight days later.[18] With a margin of victory of less than 4,000 votes, or slightly over one percent of votes cast, this congressional race was the closest in New Jersey.[19][20]

2020 election

Kim had planned to launch his 2020 re-election campaign on March 14, 2020.[6] The event was to be held at Rice Elementary School in Marlton, which Kim had attended as a child, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kim faces businessman David Richter, who won the Republican primary. Richter originally planned to run against then-Democrat Jeff Van Drew in the second district, but after Van Drew switched parties, Richter decided to run against Kim in the third district.[21]

Tenure

Kim's first official action during his tenure was voting in favor of Nancy Pelosi as United States Speaker of the House, though he voted against her nomination during a Democratic caucus meeting in November 2018.[22] Kim cited the need for reopening the government amid the ongoing government shutdown for his decision to ultimately back Pelosi's nomination.[23]

The first bill that Kim introduced (in February 2019) was the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act (SAVE Act).[24]. In May 2019, the SAVE Act was passed by the House, 234–183. The bill is designed to lower prescription drug costs and included a provision to prohibit brands from stopping generic versions of drugs to be sold on the market.[25]

The second bill that Kim introduced was the Alice Paul Voter Protection Act[26]. The bill would expand and protect the right to vote and was named for Alice Paul, whose birthplace and childhood home are in Kim's congressional district.

In June 2019, Kim co-sponsored an amendment to stop a pay raise for members of Congress.[27]

In April 2020, House leadership appointed Kim as the only freshman member of a newly-formed House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus crisis, a twelve-member panel chaired by Representative Jim Clyburn (D-SC).[28]

In June 2020, Kim, along with Representatives Denny Heck (D-WA), Derek Kilmer (D-WA), and Jason Crow (D-CO), introduced a bill that would provide aid to communities adjacent to large military installations (such as Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, which is located in his district) that are affected by the coronavirus crisis.[29]

In 2020, Kim co-sponsored and voted for the Justice in Policing Act.[30]

Committee assignments

Electoral history
Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Andy Kim 28,514 100
Total votes 28,514 100
New Jersey's 3rd congressional district, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Andy Kim 153,473 50.0
Republican Tom MacArthur (incumbent) 149,500 48.7
Constitution Larry Berlinski 3,902 1.3
Total votes 306,875 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican

See also

References
  1. "Candidate Conversation – Andy Kim (D) – News & Analysis – Inside Elections". www.insideelections.com. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  2. Amy S. Rosenberg, Jan Hefler (November 7, 2018). "Democrat Andy Kim claims win over U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur in N.J.'s 3rd Congressional District". .philly.com. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  3. Reilly, Ryan J. (October 30, 2018). "Andy Kim Is A South Jersey Boy. The GOP Calls Him 'Not One Of Us.'". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  4. "KIM, Andy – Biographical Information". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. United States Congress.
  5. "Andy Kim Raises Over $1.1 million in First Six Months of 2019", Insider NJ, July 12, 2019. Accessed July 27, 2020. "Congressman Kim grew up in Marlton, NJ and lives in the district with his wife, Kammy, and two young children."
  6. "Andy Kim to Hold Campaign Kickoff Rally in Marlton". Insider NJ. Retrieved July 12, 2020. Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) will officially launch his reelection campaign at a rally in Marlton on Saturday March 14th, at 2pm. The rally will be held at Rice Elementary, the public school the congressman attended in the Kings Grant neighborhood where he grew up.
  7. Rosenberg, Amy S. "Andy Kim’s campaign took off in the Mt. Laurel Wegmans. Now Kim, 36, is trying to unseat Rep. Tom MacArthur, New Jersey’s Trumpiest congressman", The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 27, 2018. Accessed November 9, 2018. "He and the super PACs supporting him have been relentless, running TV ads calling out Kim for taking a tax break on his D.C. condo after moving back to New Jersey, and suggesting the Marlton-born and Cherry Hill East High graduate is 'not one of us.'"
  8. "Two University of Chicago students win Rhodes Scholarships". University of Chicago. November 21, 2004. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  9. Rizzo, Salvador (April 27, 2017). "Obama's ISIS Adviser May Challenge MacArthur". Observer. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  10. Bowman, Bridget (June 19, 2017). "Former Security Official Launches Bid Against MacArthur". Roll Call. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  11. Levinsky, David. "Andy Kim focuses first 100 days on transparency, outreach and compromise", Burlington County Times, April 21, 2019. Accessed July 26, 2020. "He now lives in Bordentown Township and is the first Asian American to represent New Jersey in Congress, as well as the first Democrat to represent the district since the late John Adler, of Cherry Hill, who served one term from 2009 through 2010."
  12. Barack Obama [@BarackObama] (August 1, 2018). "Today I'm proud to endorse such a wide and impressive array of Democratic candidates – leaders as diverse, patriotic, and big-hearted as the America they're running to represent:" (Tweet). Retrieved August 1, 2018 – via Twitter.
  13. Hefler, Jan (October 15, 2018). "At Burlington County diner, Joe Biden rallies support for Democratic House candidate Andy Kim". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  14. Phil Murphy. ".@AndyKimNJ grew up in #NJ03 and served our country on President Obama's nat'l security team – of course he's one of us. Now he's making the GOP in Washington very nervous. Trump-like rhetoric has no place in NJ". Twitter.
  15. Piper Perabo. "#NewJersey Garden State! Let's win this for the home team! #NJ03 I'm looking at you! @AndyKimNJ for Congress!!!!". Twitter.
  16. McBain, Sophie (October 30, 2018). "Blue Wave: Meet Andy Kim, the 36-year-old former Obama aide running to protect healthcare in New Jersey". New Statesman. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  17. Joe Hernandez (November 7, 2018). "Kim declares victory in N.J.'s 3rd district; MacArthur not conceding". WHYY-FM.
  18. "NJ election results 2018: MacArthur concedes, Andy Kim wins 3rd District race". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  19. "New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District election, 2018". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  20. "Surprises Amid Flips from Red to Blue, and MacArthur-Kim Still Undecided – NJ Spotlight". www.njspotlight.com. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  21. says, Wade Campbell (January 27, 2020). "Richter switches districts, will run against Kim". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  22. Levinsky, David (November 28, 2018). "Congressman-elect Andy Kim sides against Nancy Pelosi becoming speaker". Burlington County Times. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  23. Levinsky, David (January 3, 2019). "Democrat Andy Kim reverses position, votes for Pelosi as speaker". Burlington County Times. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  24. Levinsky, David. "Kim's first bill would fund state-based health care sites". Burlington County Times. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  25. Levinsky, David. "Rep. Andy Kim's health care bill approved by the full House". Burlington County Times. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  26. Levinsky, David. "Kim introduces Alice Paul Voter Protection Act". Burlington County Times. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  27. Press, Andrew TaylorAssociated. "Democrats re-evaluating plans to hike lawmakers' pay". Burlington County Times. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  28. Levinsky, David. "Rep. Andy Kim named to new House panel reviewing coronavirus response". Burlington County Times. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  29. "Businesses, towns and schools near Joint Base may receive help from new Kim bill". Courier-Post. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  30. "Andy Kim Discusses Police Reform With Burlington County Leaders". Moorestown, NJ Patch. July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  31. Levinsky, David. "Rep. Andy Kim lands seat on House Armed Services Committee". Burlington County Times. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  32. Levinsky, David. "Rep. Andy Kim named chair of Small Business subcommittee". Burlington County Times. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  33. "Rep. Andy Kim". GovTrack. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  34. "Pelosi Names Select Members to Bipartisan House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis". Speaker Nancy Pelosi. April 29, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Tom MacArthur		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 3rd congressional district
2019–present		 Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
John Joyce		 United States Representatives by seniority
377th		 Succeeded by
Susie Lee
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