A labor union representing over 750,000 federal employees gave a Senate candidate the lowest ratings received by Democratic members of the New Jersey congressional delegation.
Congressman Andy Kim, a Democratic candidate for the US Senate in New Jersey, received notably low ratings from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) but he is raising far more money than his primary election opponents, civil rights leader Lawrence “Larry” Hamm and Latina labor activist Patricia Campos-Medina.
The AFGE, a major labor union representing over 750,000 federal employees, gave Kim a rating of 67% in 2022 and 61% in 2021. These ratings are among the lowest received by members of the New Jersey congressional delegation.
In comparison, other New Jersey representatives have received significantly higher ratings from the AFGE. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker received ratings of 100% and 88% respectively. Representatives Joshua Gottheimer and Bill Pascrell, Jr. each earned a perfect score of 100%, while Donald Norcross, Frank Pallone, Jr., Mikie Sherrill, and Bonnie Watson Coleman each received 94%.
Among New Jersey lawmakers, only Republicans Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew scored lower than Kim, with ratings of 50% and 44% respectively.
The AFGE has been affiliated with the AFL-CIO, America’s largest labor federation, since 1932 and is known for its strong advocacy on behalf of government workers.
The union emphasizes the importance of solidarity among working people and believes that its influence is strongest when united.
Kim, who was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, represents New Jersey’s Third Congressional District, which includes most of Burlington County and parts of Ocean County.
He is currently running for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate but neither Hamm nor Campos-Medina seems to have the resources to make his anti-labor voting record a serious issue in the contest.
The AFGE’s ratings reflect their assessment that Kim’s policy positions include areas of disagreement with the union’s priorities, but his campaign for the Senate is raking in big money and has attracted near unanimous support from New Jersey’s political establishment.
In the House, Kim serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Committee on Small Business.
Hamm and Campos-Medina have also struggled to make Democratic primary voters aware that Kim has steadfastly supported sending weapons to Israel despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu using them to slaughter at least 15,000 children since October 7.
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his defense chief, and three Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes.
The war between Israeli forces and Hamas militants created an acute humanitarian crisis and leaders on both sides of the conflict are facing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Hamm and Campos-Medina have each called for a ceasefire but Kim, who had received $360,452 from pro-Israel donors according to OpenSecrets, based on Federal Election Commission data released last year, has danced all around on the issue.
The country’s flagship Israel lobby group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, formed a pair of political action committees and has been spending millions on political races targeting progressives involved in Democratic primaries.
Financed by AIPAC’s major donors, including Republican billionaires and key GOP funders, the Israel lobby’s new super PAC has reshaped the electoral field in key primaries, shifted the balance of power in Congress, and imposed costly consequences for criticism of U.S. support for Israel’s human rights abuses.
Progressive Democrats are just starting to fight back, building a bulwark against the pro-Israel lobby onslaught with a new campaign to Reject AIPAC.
A group of 25 progressive organizations — including Justice Democrats, the Working Families Party, the IfNotNow Movement, and Jewish Voice for Peace Action— launched the Reject AIPAC coalition Monday.
The coalition plans to organize against AIPAC by spending on campaigns to defend members of Congress targeted by the pro-Israel lobby but it is nowhere near capable of aiding candidates like Larry Hamm.
In a press release announcing its launch, the coalition said it would work to “organize Democratic voters and elected officials to reject the destructive influence of the Republican megadonor-backed AIPAC on the Democratic primary process and our government’s policy towards Palestine and Israel.”
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