it's lucky number seven for US Senate candidate and Congressman Andy Kim who last night won the Mercer County Democratic Convention with 63% of the vote beating out first lady Tammy Murphy for the party line endorsement there both candidates have been racking up critical support heading into the June primary but political analysts say they're watching closely for victories in counties like Mercer where endorsements are decided through secret ballot votes rather than the thumb of party bosses Ted Goldberg reports for Tammy Murphy 108 votes and for Andy Kim 23 anytime we show that you know we're able to operate in a non-machine County uh when we let people be able to vote um you know we'd be able to win uh very significantly and I think that this bodess really well for what's going to happen on June 4th another secret ballot and another convention win for Andy Kim who has now captured the county line in Seven Counties Kim had HomeField Advantage with much of his congressional district in Mercer County but the county also includes Trenton so you couldn't count out first lady Tammy Murphy I am here standing before you not just as a candidate for Senate not just as a three-term member of the House of Representatives but as a father of a six-year-old and dayold terrified about what kind of America they're going to grow up I see the world through the eyes of my children my four children and that we are really letting down the Next Generation whether it's two Wars that are ongoing whether it's mental health challenges whether it's affordability whether it's an attack on on our reproductive freedoms Murphy only needed 40% of the vote to share the county line but she ended up with just 29% of the vote so Kim gets the line solo afterwards Murphy said she's not too worried about conventions even after her big winds in Bergen and Somerset counties and getting the party's endorsement in Pake and Union there's a lot of conventions but I'll be really happy when the conventions are over and we can just get on the ground and be able to talk to people because that's that's where I shine you know when I'm actually able to talk to people and not just running from one place to the other and not able to really have a good conversation as for Kim he was pleased that Mercer County used a secret ballot conventions using secret ballots have leaned his way during the campaign any convention ition that we've seen that uh just uh has an open process you know secret ballots and not adding all sorts of other random delegates at the last minute uh I seem to be doing just fine there should be really no reason not to do a secret ballot anywhere in America when there is a contested race it just is the right thing to do to just make sure people are able to do what they want to do it's a real a sign of respect for voters when you know that you're being watched and you're being watched by people who have a vested outcome and how you vote it's not so secret it's not so easy to vote your conscience last night's convention was held at Ryder University where mik rasmuson teaches political science he said these results demonstrate the hold Kim has in his home District to me that signals that Andy Cam has very strong support throughout all of the four counties that touch his congressional district or that he used to represent in Congress he's got a very strong base in Mammoth ocean B lington and Mercer while Kim got the Democratic nod in Mercer County neither candidate could claim victory in Kate May County the Democrats there chose not to endorse him or Murphy for the county line rasmuson says the next few conventions will be an interesting battle between Kim and the Democratic machine this is really shaping up to be a primary very much about those who have the power versus those who don't and there are a lot more voters who don't have power and ultimately if they choose to participate Ben Andy Kim got this strong Grassroots secret weapon on his side Kim hopes to ride this wave into middle sex County where delegates there will cast their votes on Thursday at Ryder University I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight news