
SUCCESSFUL CHALLENGE. Andy Kim, the Democratic candidate in
the U.S. Congressional District 3 race, speaks during a debate
against Republican candidate Tom MacArthur, in Newark, New
Jersey. Kim, the Democratic former national security aide to
Barack Obama, defeated two-term incumbent MacArthur in New
Jersey’s 3rd District. The U.S. House historian’s database shows
he is the first Asian-American elected from New Jersey. Kim has
never run for or served in elected office before. (AP
Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
From The Asian Reporter, V28, #22 (November 19, 2018),
page 8.
Newcomer Andy Kim beats Tom MacArthur in New
Jersey
By Mike Catalini
The Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. — Democrat Andy Kim, a political newcomer and
former national security aide in the Obama administration,
defeated Republican representative Tom MacArthur in a tight race
in which the incumbent’s vote to roll back the Affordable Care
Act was a hot issue.
Kim upset MacArthur in the hotly contested southern New
Jersey district, widening the Democrats’ edge in the House of
Representatives.
He declared victory last week, but MacArthur did not concede
as mail-in and provisional ballots continued to be counted.
The U.S. House historian’s database shows he is the first
Asian American elected from New Jersey. Kim has never run for or
served in elected office before.
"This from the very beginning was always about the people,"
Kim told supporters at his office in Mount Laurel when he
declared victory. "I will be part of that new generation of
leaders that will step up and do what’s best for the American
people. That’s what we need right now."
MacArthur had said earlier that he was waiting for votes to
be counted and did not concede.
"This has been a hard fought campaign and like Andy Kim, I’m
ready to see it come to an end," MacArthur said in a statement
after the election.
The district last elected a Democrat in 2008.
MacArthur was an ally of President Donald Trump but stressed
his independence as well.
He was the only New Jersey congressman to vote for the 2017
tax overhaul and backed repeal of the Affordable Care Act. He
faced jeers and insults from constituents during an at-times
raucous town hall about healthcare last year.
He authored an amendment to allow states to get federal
waivers to the requirement that insurers charge healthy and sick
customers the same premiums. The change, which didn’t pass the
senate, would have been for people who let their coverage lapse.
MacArthur had said those people would be covered by high-risk
pools.
In a recent interview, Kim said that was a turning point.
"The moment that was most important in this district over the
last two years was the healthcare vote and the town hall that
MacArthur did," he said. "That was what got me into the race,
that’s what just turned this district on its head and why people
got so fired up."
Kim largely stayed away from invoking the president, despite
his unpopularity in New Jersey.
AP VoteCast found that most said Trump was a factor in their
vote, while a majority also said the country is headed in the
wrong direction. Healthcare was the top issue facing the nation
for most New Jersey voters, followed by the economy and
immigration.
AP VoteCast is a new nationwide survey of about 138,000
voters and non-voters — including 3,800 voters and 664 nonvoters
in the state of New Jersey — conducted for The Associated Press
by NORC at the University of Chicago.
Kim said he will make it a priority to get a post on the
House Armed Services Committee because the southern New Jersey
district, which includes Burlington and Ocean counties, also has
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
Kim and Democratic representative-elect Tom Malinowski ousted
incumbent Republicans, while Democratic representatives-elect
Mikie Sherrill and Jeff Van Drew won open Republican seats.
New Jersey will have just one Republican out of 12 seats in
the next congress. Before the election, Republicans controlled
five seats, and heading into the 2016 election the delegation
was split six to six.
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