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?️ NJ-3 — ANDY KIM SEEKS TO KEEP SEAT IN PRO-TRUMP DISTRICT: Rep. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey) is gearing up to secure a third term in the House after twice-defeating his opponents in a district that voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020. Kim will face off against Republican Bob Healey Jr., chair of yacht manufacturing company Viking Group, on the ballot this November in a likely competitive race.
- Record as an underdog: In 2018, Kim narrowly defeated then-incumbent Tom MacArthur (R) by a margin of 50% to 48.7%. Two years later, Kim won re-election in a comfortable margin of 53.2% to 45.5% against business executive David Richter (R).
- Worth noting: In New Jersey’s closer-than-expected governor’s race last year, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) won the state overall, but Republican Jack Ciaterelli took the 3rd congressional district by a margin of 13.7%.
- Mama’s money: Newcomer Healey raised nearly $3 million in this election cycle, but much of that has come from his own pocket—and his mother’s. The first-time candidate contributed $1 million to his own campaign in June, while his mother donated $2 million to super PAC Garden State Advance, which was formed mid-March to boost Healey’s campaign, reports POLITICO’s Matt Friedman.
- Still… Kim has out-raised Healey, bringing in nearly $5 million this cycle.
?️ CA-40 — YOUNG KIM VS. ASIF MAHMOOD: Republican Rep. Young Kim, who currently represents California’s 39th district and is one of the first Korean American women to serve in Congress, is set to compete against political newcomer Democrat Asif Mahmood in a closely watched race for the state’s newly drawn 40th district.
- Up in the air: The district includes parts of Orange and Riverside Counties, which have significant Asian and Hispanic populations, and leans more heavily red than Kim’s current 39th. But Kim currently represents about one-fifth of the voters in what would be her new constituency.
- Reproductive rights will likely play a role in the race this cycle, with roughly half of voters nationwide saying abortion will be “very” important when considering their vote, according to a Morning Consult poll. Mahmood, a physician who immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan, has promised to codify Roe and protect abortion rights, a move that would garner strong support among AAPIs. Kim voted against a bill to protect a person’s access to out-of-state abortions and another one that would prohibit restrictions on abortions in July. (Both bills passed the House and await Senate approval.)
- Kim has received endorsements from the Orange County Register and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce while Mahmood has reeled in support from The Los Angeles Times and AAPI Victory Fund.
?️ RI-2 — FUNG POISED TO MAKE HISTORY (AGAIN): Allan Fung, a moderate Republican who served as mayor of Rhode Island’s second-largest city from 2009 to 2021, could soon represent the state’s 2nd congressional district in the House. The Republican has consistently polled ahead of his Democratic opponent, state Treasurer Seth Magaziner—the latest data from poll tracker RealClearPolitics shows an 8% lead in Fung’s favor.
- Spotlight on abortion: Magaziner and other Rhode Island Democrats have hammered in on Fung’s stance on abortion, painting the Republican nominee as an extremist—but Fung has said he would not support a national abortion ban.
- In his words: “While I don't support late-term abortions, I would allow them in the instance of life of the mother, rape, or incest,” Fung told Axios’ Josh Kraushaar.
- Worth noting: Fung, the Republican nominee for Rhode Island governor in 2014 and 2018, lost twice to now-Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo (D), who resigned her post in 2021 to join the Biden administration. He became the state’s first mayor of Chinese ancestry when he took office in Cranston in 2009.
- Follow the trail: Fung, along with Magaziner and independent candidate William Gilbert, will participate in a candidate forum Monday night.
This story appeared as "2022 Watch" in The Yappie's Oct. 17, 2022 newsletter.
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