As New Jersey Democrats barrel toward a messy six-way gubernatorial primary, Sen. Andy Kim—who once rode the very political machine he now claims to oppose—is refusing to take a stand, leaving voters without his leadership in a critical election.
Kim, who benefited from New Jersey’s now-defunct “county line” ballot system before suing to dismantle it, said at a Newark roundtable on Thursday that he won’t endorse any of the six Democrats vying to replace term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy.
His refusal comes despite efforts at raising his profile as a progressive champion—and despite owing his own Senate victory in part to the same insider maneuvering he now decries.
“I don’t feel like it’s my place to come out with a formal endorsement for this primary,” Kim told attendees at a senior housing event alongside Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, one of the six Democratic contenders. “I went through a weird situation with my own primary last year… I think people should decide.”
The remark rings hollow for critics who recall that Kim only became a reformer after he was handed preferential ballot placement in his Senate race—until Gov. Murphy strong-armed party bosses to hand the advantage to his wife, former Virginia Republican Tammy Murphy, a one-time Bush-Cheney donor.
Only when the system turned against him did Kim file the lawsuit that ultimately killed the county line. Now, as Democrats fracture into competing factions, Kim’s hands-off approach leaves a vacuum in a race that could shape the state’s future.
The Six-Way Free-for-All
With no clear frontrunner, the June 10 primary has devolved into a battle of egos and ideologies:
- Steve Fulop: The anti-establishment Jersey City Mayor who turned down tax breaks for Trump’s building, has detailed policy proposals for a progressive administration.
- Josh Gottheimer: Has deep corporate ties and is known as Donald Trump’s favorite Democrat in Congress, but lacks any traction heading into the final weeks.
- Ras Baraka: The Newark Mayor is banking on urban support but has failed to wage an organized campaign after alienating many other Black leaders in the state.
- Mikie Sherrill: Blue Dog Democrat in Congress has near unanimous support among North Jersey party bosses, despite her Wall Street ties and other inconsistencies.
- Steve Sweeney: The former State Senate president is a Norcross machine stalwart fighting for relevance beyond the South Jersey power broker’s domain.
- Sean Spiller: The scandal-plagued former Montclair mayor is running with $35 million siphoned out of the New Jersey Education Association, which he was elected to lead.
Kim’s refusal to weigh in reeks of political cowardice. Having ridden the line when it suited him—and torpedoing it only after it threatened his ambitions—he now hides behind platitudes about “letting voters decide.” Meanwhile, Murphy’s allies whisper that Kim’s silence is a calculated move to avoid alienating any faction ahead of his own future statewide plans.
“Kim talks a big game about democracy, but where was he when the line helped him?” asked one Hudson County Democrat, speaking anonymously. “Now he won’t lift a finger to prevent a bloody primary that could weaken the nominee against [likely GOP candidate] Jack Ciattarelli.”
With polls showing Baraka and Gottheimer neck-and-neck—and attack ads flooding airwaves—Kim’s neutrality isn’t principled; it’s an abdication. New Jersey Democrats deserve leaders who fight for their values, not fair-weather reformers who only challenge the system once it stops working for them.
The primary election is June 10.