The 2020 elections will feature the Presidential race and locally, the congressional race where in the 3rd District which covers Burlington and Ocean County, a challenger has come forward to oppose Democrat Andy Kim next year.

Former Burlington County Freeholder Kate Gibbs officially entered the congressional race Wednesday morning to challenge incumbent Democrat Andy Kim to represent Burlington and Ocean Counties in Washington.

Gibbs, a Republican, is seeking to take the 3rd District seat from Kim who defeated Republican Tom MacArthur in the 2018 election after he had served two terms replacing Jon Runyan.

“As a millennial (33-years old) Republican woman who has good friends on both sides of the aisle, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s brand of politics doesn’t represent me or everyone in my generation," Gibbs said in a statement. “Turning our back on America, embracing socialism, threatening to eliminate private health insurance, and adopting Phil Murphy’s out-of-touch policies on Sanctuary Cities and taxpayer-funded giveaways to illegal immigrants is not a message that is going to sell in the Third Congressional District in 2020.”

Gibbs currently serves in a leadership role for the one of the state’s most prominent trade labor unions and is the Deputy Director for the Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative (ELEC 825), and she also believes that her personal story will resonate with Third Congressional District voters.

“I was born in South Jersey, raised by a single mom, worked to put myself through school, and became the first person in my family to graduate from college,” Gibbs said. “From there, I went on to become one of the youngest women ever elected to countywide office in New Jersey, where I cut property taxes, improved school security, made life easier for working moms, and guaranteed equal pay for equal work. I want to bring that same common sense, pragmatic approach to Washington, and be a leader in Congress who isn’t anyone’s rubber stamp.”

Kate Gibbs released a campaign video discussing her preliminary plans for the district:

(Video courtesy of Kate Gibbs for U.S. Congress)

Prior to joining the Burlington County Freeholder Board, Gibbs served on the Board of Trustees for Rowan College at Burlington County, where she noted her work in expanding the County’s Workforce Development Institute and played a role in establishing the College’s partnership with Rowan University.

Gibbs is also an active member on boards and committees for various Chambers of Commerce and business and industry organizations throughout New Jersey and earned her Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, graduating Summa Cum Laude and a B.A. from The American University, with a Double Major in Public Communications and Political Science.

If Gibbs defeats Andy Kim and is elected into office she would be the first Republican woman to represent New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives since Congresswoman Marge Roukema (R-Ridgewood) retired in 2002, according to NewJerseyGlobe.com.

In Congressman Kim's first year in office since defeating MacArthur he helped introduced The National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2019 which is designed to help homeowners and businesses alike receive aid during and after a storm.

Congressman Kim also voted on H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112 earlier this year which closes gun safety loopholes to ensure universal background checks.

Kim also told WOBM News in August that he had spoken with various law enforcement agencies on dealing with the opioid crisis on how it's being monitored.

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