Andy Kim sworn in as New Jersey's newest U.S. senator, filling Bob Menendez's seat
NEW YORK -- Andy Kim's term as New Jersey's newest U.S. senator started on Monday, when he was sworn-in three weeks early.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy appointed Kim to the Senate seat on Sunday, following the certification of his election victory in November. Murphy said the early appointment will allow Kim to hit the ground running for the people of New Jersey and give him the smoothest transition possible.
Kim defeated Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw in the closely-watched race to replace convicted New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez. Murphy had appointed his former chief of staff George Helmy to fill the seat until the election.
Kim, a three-term congressman, said he ran to restore integrity and trust in government after Menendez resigned amid the bribery scandal.
"I think we've shown that we built an incredible coalition all across New Jersey, people fired up for the kind of new era of politics we want to bring in. We've been excited about this, we've been working hard, all corners in New Jersey and we saw the value of that today," Kim told CBS News New York after winning the election.
During his campaign, Kim touted Democrats' accomplishments, such as lowering the cost of prescription drugs, while criticizing President-elect Donald Trump for eliminating the SALT deduction, which Trump has since reversed his position on.
Kim is New Jersey's first Asian American senator. On Election Night, he gave his victory speech at the DoubleTree Hotel in Cherry Hill, where his parents stayed when they first arrived in the Garden State.
"I wanted to pay tribute to my parents, to my family, to this state for giving a kid like me a chance to be able to dream, for giving me the tools through public education and a kind community," he said.
