The race for the first Korean-American senator has begun. Andy Kim has won the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in New Jersey, held on June 4.
Kim led his two challengers, Patricia Campos Medina and Lawrence Hamm, with 75% of the vote, securing his position as the Democratic nominee with 153,683 ballots cast.
This victory brings him one step closer to November, the final gateway to becoming the first Asian-American senator from the East Coast and the first in a century of Korean immigration to the U.S. Kim will face a general election against a field of candidates including Republican nominee Curtis Bashaw and incumbent senator Bob Menendez, who is running as an independent.
Kim, 41, has frequently stated his philosophy that public service should be a life’s work, not just a job. When asked what motivated him to run for the Senate, Kim, who served as Director for Iraq at the White House in President Barack Obama’s administration, said he wanted to create a good country for his two young sons, a country and society where principles are upheld.
While his fresh perspective has attracted attention, the Korean-American community across the country has been eagerly anticipating his potential to become the first Korean-American to enter the U.S. Senate.
His election is expected to make immigration history, joining the five Korean-Americans who have served in the U.S. House of Representatives, and giving the Korean-American community a strong voice in federal human resources, foreign affairs, and defense sectors. This could significantly impact U.S.-Korea and North American diplomatic relations.
BY BRIAN CHOI, HOONSIK WOO [ichoi@koreadaily.com]
