TRENTON, N.J. — Chris Smith is now New Jersey’s only elected Republican federal representative.
On Wednesday, the Associated Press declared challenger Andy Kim the victor over incumbent Tom MacArthur in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District which Donald Trump carried by 6-points in 2016 and Kim Guadagno carried by a similar margin in 2017.
Kim narrowly overcame MacArthur fueled by an unrepresented fundraising haul and a healthcare-driven suburban revolt in blue-leaning Burlington County which also toppled the local GOP’s decades-old control on the freeholder board.
The Republican Congressman announced his concession shortly thereafter:
“Tonight, I called Congressman-Elect Andy Kim to congratulate him on his victory. Enough provisional ballots have been counted to make the outcome clear. My staff and I will work with him to ensure a smooth transition in every way. It has been an honor to represent the people of Ocean and Burlington counties over the last four years, and I am proud to have done so with honesty and integrity. My wife Debbie and I have been truly blessed in life, and our commitment to helping others has never been defined by politics or elected office. I am also a firm believer that good can come out of life’s disappointments and I look forward to what the future holds for us. Thank you to all of those who supported me and even those who did not. We must all work together to ensure that America remains the shining city on a hill that President Reagan described so many years ago.”
MacArthur is popular in the White House, and he was poised to be a contender for House Republican leadership had he won reelection.
New Jersey – which has five Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives at the moment – will have just one come January 2019 when the new Congress is seated.
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