Andy Kim isn't backing down the three-term Democratic Congressman says he's undeterred in his quest for the US senate seat currently held by indicted senior senator Bob Menendez that's despite the fact that endorsements from New Jersey's Democratic machine keep rolling in for first lady Tammy Murphy who declared her candidacy one week ago more than half of New Jersey Democratic house members have now pledged their support for Murphy Representatives Cheryl gimer palone Payne Pascal and Norcross not to mention the backing of more than half a dozen of the party's County Chairs making her the front runner in a primary still several months away I asked Congressman Kim whether that cast doubt on his ability to win Congressman thanks for joining me on this Thanksgiving Eve let me just get right into it uh with the endorsements out this week for the first lady it appears more and more that she has the backing of the party re establishment how are you going about launching a successful campaign given that yeah well thanks again for having me Ian and look I will say I think it's very clear that we're running two very different campaigns you know for me when I launched my campaign it was with the Grassroots we had over 300 people um you know people who are fired up and excited about where things going that's where I'm putting my focus is engaging and listening and making sure that they're voes are heard the first lady taking a different tag going towards the party leadership and Elites uh first and I just think that's you know that's what people have to see and see who uh represents the kind of views that they want to go towards in terms of our Democratic party as well as our democracy uh I saw on Twitter you put out um X rather you put up a post talking about the fact that you have never and you will never take a a dime of pack money was that a jab at your opponent or just in general at how these these races tend to go well look you know for me I want people to know uh what I stand for and what I'm fighting for so yes I you know I don't take corporate pack money I've now done around 70 Town Halls I'm somebody that's out and engaged so right now I'm I'm working to Define myself get my name out there um and I have to say the excitement and the response has been phenomenal ever since are you seeking any endorsements from labor groups other organizations in the state yeah well look we're we're definitely in talks in terms of of different labor groups and different organizations so those will proceed but like I said you know right now first and foremost it's about making sure that people feel like they have a choice that they understand that you know especially in in the aftermath of the indictment of the senator people in the state are very uh very careful about our democracy and our politics and and they are very much on edge and and they want to make sure that they are in the driver's seat let me just shift gears slightly on this deal that's been apparently brokered in the Israel Hamas War um your take on that and the hostage negotiation portion of it yeah thanks thanks for raising this I mean this is a very big development uh it's one that I think about a lot I had the chance to meet a number of the families of the hostages taken and uh just hearing their their heart-wrenching stories uh everyone wants to find a way in which we can get that humanitarian assistance flowing get some of the hostages back but a lot more of that needs to happen if we can finally be able to bring this violence to an end get the hostages back and have the kind of security in that region that the people deserve you've stopped short of calling for a ceasefire do you see yourself at any point um coming to a place where you would sign on with some of your other colleagues uh to urge the administration uh to broke or a ceasefire well look I I I think this example what just happened uh is it sets a stage for what needs to happen which is that anything that comes forward in terms of how you try to stop this violence needs to be an agreement you know needs to be something that is is brokered and has agreement from parties on all sides otherwise it's not going to be lasting so whatever needs to happen needs to be lasting and is something that will hopefully lead towards a durable peace Congressman Andy Kim for us tonight Congressman thank you so much thanks for having me