The suit I wore

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ {NAME}, Believe it or not, I found this suit on the sale rack at J. Crew, not long after the 2020 election. I liked the bold blue color and thought I might wear it to the inauguration a few weeks later. When I donated it to the Smithsonian, the knees were dusted with dirt from the night I spent cleaning trash off of the Capitol’s rotunda floor on January 6. [Andy Kim with suit]( Holding my bright blue suit, perhaps for the last time, before I donated it to the Smithsonian. Honestly, I had seriously considered throwing the suit away until the Smithsonian called. That day still brings such terrible memories for me; I knew I‘d never wear it again. But the story of January 6 isn’t just about violence, insurrection, and trauma. Like our country’s story, that day ended full of hope, resilience, civility, and service. Even the simple step I took to help clean up that trash the insurrectionists left behind sparked something much more significant. In the weeks that followed, I received thousands of cards and letters from folks across the country who were inspired or comforted by what they saw. I still cherish every single one. [Illustration of Andy Kim cleaning up on Jan 6]( I never imagined that something as simple and reflexive as cleaning up a mess I saw could become inspirational to those like the artist who sent me this wonderful illustration. Those cards remind me how strong this country is, and how strong we can be when we come together. Right now, our partisan divide can seem so deep that it threatens to tear us apart. We saw it on full display on January 6, and we must ensure nothing like that ever happens again. That means working with Congress to protect our Capitol, but it also means all of us working together to find common ground. That common ground is closer than you might realize, {NAME}. I can clearly see the disconnect between the partisan wars being waged in DC, the in-fighting within the GOP’s own party, and the priorities of my friends and neighbors in New Jersey. We are honestly all just exhausted by the endless cycles of misinformation and outrage. It’s a mess, for sure -- and it’s all of ours to clean up together. [Andy Kim with children]( I’m raising my two Jersey boys in the same community that welcomed my parents from South Korea. Everything I have done in Congress is to keep the promise I made to help build them a better world than the one we inherited — and now, I am running for U.S. Senate to bring that same integrity and an emphasis on putting people first. That’s why the movement we’re building is focused on civility and service, starting in the same New Jersey community that raised me and stretching out to every corner of our country. [I’m ready to help bring our country together and fix what’s broken. That’s why I’m running for Senate to restore integrity and honor to our government and I’m humbly asking you to join me in this cause. Can I count on you to split a donation between my campaign and the Voter Protection Project?]( If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your split donation between Andy Kim and VPP will go through immediately: [CONTRIBUTE $10 »]( [CONTRIBUTE $25 »]( [CONTRIBUTE $50 »]( [CONTRIBUTE $100 »]( [Or a custom donation »]( More soon, Andy Paid for by VPP ([www.protectvoting.org](#)) Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. [401 2nd Ave. S, Ste. 303, Seattle, WA 98104](#) The Voter Protection Project is on an important mission: To end partisan gerrymandering and voter suppression by electing candidates at the state and federal levels that are forceful advocates for voting rights. Our enfranchisement agenda includes working to ensure that every state has automatic voter registration and online voter registration, convenient early voting, and independent redistricting commissions to ensure politicians are not able to draw their own maps. Please, consider making a [one-time contribution by clicking here](. Or, to make the most powerful lasting impact and help us oust Republicans up and down the ballot who attack our right to vote, make a [monthly sustaining contribution by clicking here](. [Click here]( to request fewer emails. Click here to [unsubscribe](. [{NAME}: Pitch In Once A Month To Protect Voting Rights »]( [Donate Just One Time »](