FLEMINGTON, N.J. – U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) won the endorsement of the Hunterdon County Democratic Committee for his Senate campaign on Sunday, but not before a bit of party insider hijinks threatened to derail proceedings with allegations of favoritism toward Kim’s chief rival, New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy.
The endorsements of county parties are highly sought after in New Jersey because of the Garden State’s unique insider system, where county party endorsements determine who gets the coveted “ballot line” in a party primary. Getting “the line,” as it’s known, means that voters see the candidate’s name first on the ballot — an advantage for candidates among lower-information voters in particular.
Going into the Hunterdon County Democratic Committee’s convention vote on Sunday, Kim was the oddsmakers’ favorite to pick up the county party’s endorsement over Murphy. Kim, Murphy, labor activist Dr. Patricia Campos-Medina and civil rights advocate Larry Hamm are all vying for the chance to unseat federally indicted Sen. Robert Menendez in New Jersey’s June primary.
Before the 189 delegates present at the convention had a chance to cast their secret ballots, however, Arlene Quiñones Perez, chair of the Hunterdon County Democratic Committee, announced that any candidate who reached the 30% threshold would be able to qualify for “the line.” The announcement was met with loud boos from the crowd’s many Kim supporters.
Quiñones Perez framed the decision as an effort to heed Kim, Hamm and Campos-Medina’s calls to get rid of the county ballot line system altogether.
“We have … heard from the Senate candidates that they want an open primary,” Quiñones Perez said. “And we’ve heard from a great many of you that you want the same thing.”
“If you meet 30%, we think that is a reasonable number,” she added by way of explaining the threshold.
In fact, Kim, Campos-Medina and Hamm’s letter to county party chairs earlier…
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