Democratic Rep. Andy Kim faces off against Republican Bob Healey in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District election
- Rep. Andy Kim is running against Republican Bob Healey in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District.
- The 3rd District includes Hamilton, a swing town and one of the state's most populous municipalities.
Democratic Rep. Andy Kim faces off against Republican Bob Healey in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District.
New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District candidates
Kim, first elected in 2018, is bidding for a third term. He became the first Democratic congressman of Korean descent, and the second overall after Republican Jay Kim of California, who served in Congress during the 1990s.
Kim serves on the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Armed Services.
Prior to getting elected, Kim worked for the federal government under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The Jersey Democrat briefly worked at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in President George W. Bush's administration and then worked for several years in President Barack Obama's administration in multiple capacities.
Healey, Kim's challenger, is a former punk-rock singer turned uber-wealthy businessman — he's the co-chairman of the Viking Yacht Company and related firms with millions at his disposal.
The Viking Group is a major area employer, with over a thousand South Jersey residents working for the company.
Healey is also the founder of an international charitable organization, the Healey International Relief Fund.
Voting history for New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District
New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District covers parts of Monmouth and Mercer counties, including Hamilton, a swing town and one of the state's most populous municipalities.
Donald Trump had a less than a 1 point percentage point margin of victory over President Joe Biden under the district's previous boundaries in 2020 before the once-in-a-decade redistricting process following the 2020 Census excised Ocean County and drew in Hamilton. This shift resulted in a district less politically divided and more favorable to Democrats. The new district would have had Biden winning with a 14 percentage point margin.
The money race
According to OpenSecrets, Kim has raised $6.42 million, spent $5.1 million, and has $1.9 million of cash on hand, as of October 19. His challenger, Healey, has raised $4 million, spent $3.8 million, and has $228,000 in cash still left to spend, as of October 19.
As of November 3, a dozen super PACs, national party committees, politically active nonprofits, and other non-candidate groups, 11 of them Democratic, have together spent about $3.4 million to advocate for or against candidates in this race, including during the race's primary phase.
Garden State Advance, a super PAC funded almost entirely by Ellen Healey, the candidate's mother, has already spent nearly $3 million attacking Kim or supporting Healey.
What experts say
The race between Kim and Healey is rated as "likely Democratic" by The Cook Political Report, and "likely Democratic" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.