CHERRY HILL, New Jersey – The US is set to welcome its first-ever Korean-American member of Congress: Democrat Andy Kim has been declared the winner of the race for the US Senate seat representing New Jersey.

       With the victory, Mr Kim, 42, also becomes the first Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) senator from the East Coast, and the first New Jersey Senator from South Jersey in 70 years.

       In a speech at DoubleTree Hotel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, he said: “By most standards of what is possible, this moment right now should not be occurring.”

       “We showed that politics isn’t some exclusive club for the well-off and the well-connected,” said Mr Kim, who was a representative for the Third Congressional District of New Jersey.

       The DoubleTree Hotel is where Mr Kim and his family stayed for several weeks while searching for a place to rent after immigrating to America.

       Mr Kim expressed his deepest humility as he prepared to take on a role held by only 2,000 Americans out of 600 million in the history of the country.

       Reflecting on the historic nature of his win, Mr Kim noted that over 120 years after Koreans first arrived in America, he now has the opportunity to “add a chapter that hasn’t been written before”.

       Mr Kim said that while the outcome of his race was clear, he recognised that it was also a moment of profound anxiety for Americans, as they wondered about what comes next for their country.

       “And it’s because of my reverence for this nation that it also pains me to my core to see the struggles we are going through. That we aren’t just having policy debates and fights, but instead the very foundation of our democracy is rendered fragile,” said Mr Kim.

       “This challenge is a reminder that today, Election Day, is the starting line, not the finish line.”