Go to contents

Andy Kim wins New Jersey 3rd District Election

Posted November. 16, 2018 07:48,   

Updated November. 16, 2018 07:48

한국어

Andy Kim, a 36-year-old Democrat, who ran in the midterm election for New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District, has won the parliamentary seat. This makes him the first South Korean congressperson in the U.S. since Kim Chang-joon, the former Republican congressman who served 20 years ago.

On Wednesday, the Associated Press and the New York Times reported that Kim has carried the election, garnering 49.9 percent of vote, 1.1 percentage points higher than Republican incumbent Tom MacArthur with 48.8 percent. Initially, Kim came 30,300 votes short in Ocean County, a conservative district, but the tables were turned around with 33,600 winning votes in Burlington County, a Democratic stronghold, when 99 percent of votes had already been counted. With Andy Kim taking office, New Jersey witnessed Democrats carrying elections in 11 congressional districts out of 12.

“I am ready to get to work serving my home district and represent #NJ03 with integrity and civility in Washington,” tweeted Andy Kim, who worked at the Pentagon and the National Security Council under the Obama administration.

In his interview with the Dong-A Daily last Thursday after his seat was secured, Kim said that North Korea and peace were his top priorities, expression‎ his ambition to get a post on the House Armed Services Committee dealing with national security issues on Asia including South Korea.


wizi@donga.com · parky@donga.com