TOMS RIVER – Although several news outlets already predicted the outcome, Congressman Andy Kim has officially won his re-election campaign.
Kim, a Democrat, won 215,290 – 183,443. However, these results have not been certified and might change slightly by the end of the month.
“Election day is not the finish line,” Kim said during a speech on November 10. “It’s the starting line.”
Earlier in that day, he fielded a concession call from his challenger, Republican David Richter.
Kim listed challenges that are still impacting us all: climate change, veterans issues, the pandemic and the economic uncertainty that impacts much of the country.
“It’s not just about better policies. It’s about better politics,” he said. “Nobody came out of this election thinking ‘Everything is going to be OK.’”
There is still a lot of hard work needed to mend the rift in this country – a divide that can be felt between neighbors and between family members. And it’s not going to be easy, he said.
But he is up for the challenge, he said. When he ran for this spot in 2017, he was told he wouldn’t have a chance. When he did win, he was told that it was part of a Blue Wave and that wouldn’t happen again. He was told that no Democrat won re-election to this seat since before the Civil War. However, he won re-election and he thanked all his supporters and staff for making that happen.
“While there remain many votes still to be counted in the race for the Third District seat, it is highly unlikely that our current vote deficit can be overcome. So earlier today I called Congressman Kim and congratulated him on his re-election victory,” Richter said in a statement on November 10.
“I want to convey a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported my campaign for Congress. Whether you volunteered your time, donated your hard-earned money, made an endorsement, or simply shared a Facebook post, I appreciate all that you have done and I am extremely grateful. If you voted for me to represent you in Congress, I want you to know how much your vote means to me. Finally, I would like to thank my wife Michelle and our four daughters for their love and encouragement throughout this hard-fought campaign,” he said.
“I ran for Congress because I care very deeply about our country, and I wanted to work hard to ensure a better future for my fellow South Jerseyans and for all Americans. I intend to continue that effort because the success of our great nation – and of each and every one of you – is worth fighting for. I encourage everyone who supported my campaign to do the same,” he said.
New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District consists of parts of Ocean and Burlington counties.
In Ocean County, Kim received 74,786 votes and Richter received 101,166 votes. There were 2,292 votes for independent Martin Weber and 849 for independent Robert Shapiro.
In Burlington County, Kim received 140,504 votes and Richter received 82,277. There were 1,140 votes for Martin Weber and 828 votes for Robert Shapiro.
November 10 was the last day that ballots would be accepted, and they had to be postmarked by November 3 to be counted.
After that, the provisional ballots will be checked. These are ballots people fill out at the polls. They have to be compared against mail-ins to make sure people didn’t vote twice.
They also have to solve problems with any ballots that were questioned for not having a matching signature.
The clerks will certify the election results on November 23.
