Andy Kimis in between offices.
The desks in his temporary space in the bowels of the Dirksen Senate Office Building remain mostly bare.
Boxes holding monitors and other work supplies are stacked nearly to the ceiling in the conference room.
Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) inside the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6Maansi Srivastava for Rolling Stone
Its really surreal, Kim says of entering the Senate.
Its humbling in that way.
Its exciting, he adds.
I hope to be able to do some good in that kind of capacity.
Kim won a seat in November that wasnt expected to be open this election cycle.
His decision to run was based largely on a gut feeling.
His challengers were some of the biggest names in New Jersey politics.
Kim won, and everything else is details.
Kims two sons, ages seven and nine, remain the center of his world.
If becoming an elected representative was disruptive, the transition to the Senate is an even bigger challenge.
Why am I doing this?
Why am I doing something that takes me away from my kids so much?
I dont want my kids to grow up in a broken America, he says.
Whats the next 50 years gonna look like?
I think thats what keeps me up at night, and why I do this.
This is not something I aspire towards.
I dont want to make decisions in my life or vote based off whats going to help my career.
Just weeks into his Senate career, Kim is already applying those principles to high-profile votes.
Lets start from a foundation grounded in our Constitution.
Kims victory in November was no easy road.
Its my favorite room in D.C., he tellsRolling Stoneof the heart of the Capitol.
Im dedicating my life to trying to answer that question of how we heal this country.
A big part of that is about trust.
Kim is remaining stoic in the face of Trumps return to the White House.
Were going to have a hard time for a long time to come.
I think we can get past a lot of the problems that were facing.
I dont think the problem is just a messaging problem, he says of the partys losses in November.
There needs to be something different.
The status quo is clearly not working for people.
A lot of people, including myself, talk about protecting democracy, protecting these institutions.
People are tired of just how things are.
