Monmouth Democrats back Andy Kim for Senate over Tammy Murphy, in race to replace Menendez

Congressman Andy Kim won the Democratic party endorsement for U.S. Senate over first lady Tammy Murphy at the Monmouth County Democratic convention in Long Branch on Saturday.

Hundreds turned out to cast their ballots for Kim, Murphy or activist Patricia Campos-Medina at the state’s first convention in what will likely be a contentious battle leading up to the June Democratic primary.

Kim, who represents New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District, garnered 265 votes to Murphy’s 181. Campos-Medina received 20 votes.

Kim and Murphy are vying for ballot position in the race to be the Democratic nominee for the seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, who faces multiple federal indictments and has not yet announced if he intends to run again.

In addition to speeches from Kim and Murphy, the hundreds of delegates on hand heard from longtime Congressman Frank Pallone, who spoke in support of the first lady. Gov. Phil Murphy was also in attendance but did not take the stage.

Tammy Murphy has already garnered the support of Democratic leaders in several counties, as well as endorsements from six members of the state’s congressional delegation.

But Kim, a three-term congressman, has amassed grassroots support and had a 12-point lead in a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released earlier this month. His campaign so far has stressed his experience in Washington, and he's noted in speeches that he is the only declared candidate to hold office.

Kim’s win means that in Monmouth County he will have the county "line," or preferred bracketing on the primary ballot. Candidates who are granted that position usually win.

“The results here today represent what we’re seeing throughout our state; we are building a movement for change in New Jersey and that movement cannot be stopped,” Kim said in a statement. “This was the first lady’s home county; winning by such a significant margin shows that Democrats are demanding someone they can trust and someone with proven experience. We’re going to keep fighting in every county for every vote and to make sure we restore integrity.”

Alex Altman, a spokesperson for the Murphy campaign said that "Tammy is grateful for all the votes she received today from Monmouth County and is thankful to all the delegates that stayed in the room during the long day."

Altman said Murphy congratulated Kim and that she "looks forward to continuing her work to build a strong coalition across the state and earning the support of New Jersey voters."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ Senate race: Monmouth Dems back Andy Kim in blow to Tammy Murphy