Rep Andy Kim easily won the New Jersey primary to replace embattled U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) following his indictment on corruption charges.
The Bergen County Record reported the Associated Press called the race for Kim just 14 minutes after the polls closed.
The New York Times described Kim as the favorite to win the election in November in the Democratic state. He is poised to become the first Korean American ever elected to the U.S. Senate.
“I’m humbled by the results,” Mr. Kim said at his victory party in Princeton. “This has been a very challenging and difficult race, a very dramatic one at that, and one that frankly has changed New Jersey politics forever.”
It was a race made easier when New Jersey’s first lady Tammy Murphy dropped out of the primary in March.
However, Menendez filed to run as an independent to retain his Senate seat on Monday, adding more intrigue to the November election, according to CNN.
The two will face Republican Curtis Bashaw, a hotel developer.
Menendez currently is on trial in New York on corruption charges and Time Magazine reports it’s not clear how his entry into the race will impact the race.
Democrats cannot afford to lose this New Jersey Senate seat if they are to retain their slim control over the Senate.
“I took the chance to run for Senate eight months ago on the belief that people are fed up with our broken politics and are ready for a new generation of leadership fighting for change,” Kim said. “What I found is that there is a deep hunger across the political spectrum for a different kind of politics grounded in integrity and public service that aims to rebuild trust.”
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