Overview

Andrew Kim was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1982 and raised in Burlington County, New Jersey. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 2004, earned a Master of Philosophy from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar in 2006, and completed his PhD in International Relations at Harvard University in 2010.

Prior to his electoral career, Kim worked in national security and foreign policy roles. He served as a civilian advisor in Afghanistan, coordinated Iraq stabilization efforts at the U.S. State Department, and served on the National Security Council during the Obama administration. He also worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Kim entered electoral politics in 2018, challenging incumbent Republican Tom MacArthur in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District. He defeated MacArthur by a narrow margin, becoming the first Korean-American Democrat elected to Congress in two decades. He represented the district covering parts of Burlington and Ocean counties for three terms.

In 2024, Kim ran for the United States Senate to succeed resigning Senator Bob Menendez. He defeated First Lady Tammy Murphy and progressive activist Patricia Campos-Medina in the Democratic primary, then defeated Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw in the general election with 54 percent of the vote. He took office in January 2025, becoming the first Korean-American elected to the U.S. Senate and New Jersey’s first Asian-American senator.

Political Career

U.S. Representative, New Jersey’s 3rd District (2019–2025)

United States Senator from New Jersey (2025–present)

Key Policy Areas

Foreign policy and national security

Healthcare access and affordability

Reproductive rights

Environmental protection and climate change

Government ethics and anti-corruption

Small business and economic development

Notable Actions / Initiatives

Defeated incumbent Republican Tom MacArthur in 2018 to flip NJ-03 Democratic

Supported impeachment inquiry and articles against President Donald Trump (2019–2020)

Called for resignation of Senator Bob Menendez following federal corruption indictment (2023)

Elected first Korean-American U.S. Senator (2024)

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, University of Chicago (2004)

Master of Philosophy, University of Oxford (Rhodes Scholar) (2006)

PhD, International Relations, Harvard University (2010)

Personal

Birth date: July 12, 1982

Residence: Moorestown, Burlington County, New Jersey