2024 United States Senate election in New Jersey
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Kim: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Bashaw: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
.jpg){kind=link}
| Elections in New Jersey |
|---|
The 2024 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of New Jersey. Democratic Congressman Andy Kim defeated Republican real estate developer Curtis Bashaw in the general election with about 54 percent of the vote. Kim succeeded fellow Democrat George Helmy, who served as an interim appointee for the remainder of Bob Menendez's third term. Kim assumed office on December 8, 2024, after his election was certified, in order to give an advantage in seniority.
Menendez, who had represented New Jersey in the Senate since 2006, began to face an uncertain political future after he was indicted for federal corruption charges in 2023, his second such indictment. Amid questions over whether Menendez would seek a fourth term, a contentious Democratic primary took place between Kim and First Lady of New Jersey Tammy Murphy that was marked by allegations of nepotism and party favoritism towards Murphy. In March, Menendez announced he would not seek the Democratic nomination and Murphy withdrew from the race, leaving Kim as the only major Democratic candidate. Menendez filed to run as an independent ahead of the June primaries, but after being convicted of federal corruption the following month, he ended his candidacy and resigned from the Senate.
In the June 4 primary, Kim won the Democratic nomination with 75% of the vote. Bashaw won the Republican nomination with 45% of the vote, defeating Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner, who was endorsed by former president Donald Trump and his allies. After the general election, Kim became the first Korean American senator, the first Asian American to represent New Jersey in the Senate, and the first person from South Jersey to represent the state in the Senate since 1955. Kim flipped Gloucester County and narrowly held Passaic County, both of which voted for Republican candidate Donald Trump in the simultaneous presidential election. Cumberland County voted Republican in a Senate election for the first time since 1972, and the first time in this seat since 1952.
Kim received about 60,000 fewer votes than Kamala Harris, while Bashaw received about 200,000 fewer votes than Donald Trump. This was the closest Senate election in the state since 2006.