Andy Kim has made history by becoming the first Korean American elected to the U.S. Senate after securing a win in New Jersey. Kim will take over the seat previously held by former Sen. Bob Menendez, who resigned in August following his indictment on federal bribery and corruption charges.
Kim, who has represented New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district since 2019, triumphed over Republican Curtis Bashaw, a Cape May real estate developer. At a victory celebration late Tuesday, Kim expressed his gratitude to his supporters. “From the bottom of my heart, as a Jersey kid who never thought he would be able to say this: I am your next United States Senator,” Kim told the crowd.
Kim declared his candidacy in September 2023, a day after Menendez was indicted. The former senator was convicted on federal bribery and corruption charges in July and resigned in August. Before the primary election, Kim gained attention for his actions in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda after the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
He was seen cleaning up the damage left by the pro-Trump mob. Curtis Bashaw conceded the race in a speech to a standing-room only crowd, saying he called Kim to congratulate him.
Kim’s historic New Jersey victory
“I believe we have fought a good fight,” Bashaw said. “We are building a bigger and better Republican party together.”
A son of immigrants, Kim, 42, will become the Senate’s third-youngest member when he takes the oath of office later this month. In his first interview following the projected win, Kim expressed his pride.
“I’m here with my mom and my dad. I’m here with my wife, with my two sons — three generations in the same room,” said Kim. “It’s a lot to process, but I’m really proud.”
Kim also highlighted the importance of new, younger leadership, reflecting the state’s changing demographics, with Asian Americans being the fastest-growing racial group.
In some counties, that demographic has become a critical voting bloc. “We live in a time of such great distrust in government, and I really do think that that poses a deep, deep concern and threat to our society,” Kim said. “That’s a big reason why I stepped up to run for Senate, jumped in the day after the indictment of the senator, because I felt like we needed to change course.”
As he prepares to start his first term as a senator, Kim encourages Asian Americans to pursue public service roles.
“Don’t self-select yourself out,” he advised. “If you want to run for office, if you want to serve, give it a try. I hope that people hear that.”
