Rising Trend of Asian American Candidates Continues

By Jennie L. Ilustre

Election Day (November 4) will again show the rising trend of Asian American and Pacific Islander or AAPI candidates. Americans of Asian ancestry are running in top national races this year. They also figure in local, city and state campaigns.

What makes this year exciting is that more new faces are joining seasoned candidates in the mix. Take Democrat Ted Lieu, who gave up his State Senate seat this year to run for the 33rd district in California. Last month, B.J. Pak was named among Republican Party’s Rising Stars. He is running for reelection in the Georgia State House.

Generally, the AAPI candidates favor the Democratic Party. In the 2012 elections, for example, 25 of the 30 congressional candidates were Democrats, according to the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS).

This year, however, the Republican Party has apparently made inroads in attracting several candidates of Asian ancestry. A partial list of the Republican National Committee (RNC) names over 20 primary winners from wide-ranging races. “The RNC is excited to have many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders champion Republican values, and run for local, state, and federal offices,” said Ninio Fetalvo, RNC AAPI spokesman.

“The RNC’s growing engagement effort continues to resonate with AAPIs throughout our nation. Our AAPI candidates are indicative of the growing presence they have in our party,” added Fetalvo, who was “not involved in the 2012” RNC campaigns, and did not have comparative numbers to track a growing trend.

Whenever he talks about how far Asian Americans have gone in this country, national leader Norman Y. Mineta has a favorite anecdote. He would begin, a smile already forming in his lips, “I remember a time when, if we wanted to call a meeting of Asian American senators and congressmen in Congress…” Dramatic pause, then: “There were so few of us that we could all fit in a telephone booth.” This was in the 70s. Mineta, a Democrat, represented California’s 13th District for nearly 20 years, starting in 1975.

U.S. Congress

Times, indeed, have changed. Candidates for the U.S. Congress include many Asian Americans, including rising star Ted Lieu, who gave up his State Senate seat this year to run for the 33rd district in California.

Of course, there are also veterans like Congressman Bobby C. Scott (D, VA3), who is running for his 12th term, and Congressman Mike Honda (D), who scored a triumph in his first-ever primary challenge. Honda has served California’s 17th district since 2001.

Gautam Dutta, executive director of Asian American Action Fund, a political action committee based in the nation’s capital, is optimistic about Honda’s chances in November. “Having beaten his opponent by a 2-1 margin last June, Congressman Honda is in a strong position to win in November,” he said. Triple-A Fund has endorsed Honda and the other Democratic candidates for Congress. It enjoys a good batting average in its endorsements. “In the 2012 elections,eight of our 13 candidates won, a success rate of nearly two-thirds,” Dutta pointed out.

Other Triple-A Fund-endorsed candidates are: US Rep. Ami Bera (CA), running for reelection;U.S. Representative Judy Chu (CA-27), running for reelection; US Rep. Tammy Duckworth (IL-8)), running for re-election; US Rep. Mark Takano ((CA-41), running for re-election; Mark Takai of Hawaii, candidate for Congress; Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-2);  and Dr. Manan Trivedi, an Iraq War vet who’s running for an open congressional seat from Pennsylvania.

US Rep. Colleen Hanabusa lost in the tight primary for the US Senate to Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, who was appointed to fill the seat of the late US Sen. Daniel K. Inouye. Pundits say Schatz is a shoo-in in November.

At press time, Dutta said AAA-Fund has not decided on endorsement regarding Leland Cheung, who is running for election for Lieutenant Governor in Massachusetts. Other state races feature Stephanie Chang, candidate for the Michigan House of Representatives; and Pramila Jayapal, candidate for Washington State Senate.

Republican Candidates

RNC AAPI spokesman Fetalvo enumerated some of the AAPI Republican candidates this November, including those who are still facing primaries. RNC does not make endorsements during the primaries, said Fetalvo.

In our area, Norma Secoura is a candidate for Maryland State House (HD-08). Top races feature Gov. Nikki Haley, who is running for reelection inSouth Carolina, George Leing, candidate for the U.S. Congress (Colorado-02), and Charles Djou, candidate for U.S. Congress (HI-1). Gubernatorial candidates include Neel Kashkari, California; Allan Fung, Rhode Island, and Duke Aiona, Hawaii.

Others who are running for reelection are:  Rising Star B.J. Pak, Georgia State House;  Prasad Srinivasan, Connecticut State House (HD-31); Donald Wong, Massachusetts House of Representatives (HD-9), and Kimberly Yee Arizona State Senate (SD-20); Angie Chen-Button, incumbent candidate for Texas State House (HD-112); Janak Joshi, Colorado State House (HD-6) and Beth Fukumoto, Hawaii House of Representatives (HD-36).

Other candidates follow: Krishna Bansal, Illinois State House (HD-84);        Ling-Ling Chang, California State Assembly (AD-55); Phil Gim, New York State Assembly (AD-40); Al Hoang, Texas State House (HD-112); Tony Hwang, Connecticut State Senate (SD-134); Young Kim, California State Assembly (AD-65); Peter Kuo, California State Senate (SD-10); Michael Ly, Vermont House of Representatives (Chittenden-6-1); and Becky Sharma, Missouri House of Representatives (HD-68).

At press time, candidates who are still facing primaries are: Andy Nguyen, incumbent candidate for County Commissioner (Tarrant County, TX); Janet Nguyen, California State Senate (SD-34); Curtis Oda, incumbent candidate for Utah State House (HD-14);  Keiko Orrall, incumbent candidate for Massachusetts House of Representatives (HD-12);  (HD-108)  and   Zahid Roy, Candidate for Florida State Senate (SD-20).

Crucial Issues

In every election cycle, Asian American leaders note the importance of becoming candidates and also voter turn-out, citing the critical issues at stake. But due to recent news on immigration, for example, the stakes are higher, indeed.

Triple A-Fund Executive Director Dutta said this year is crucial, both for issues of concern to the community and to mainstream America. In telephone and email interviews from San Jose, California, he said, “Important issues that affect our families are at stake. The newly-elected Congress will be in a position to decide a number of critical issues, including immigration reform, education and economic opportunity.”

Midterm elections are notorious for low voter turn-out. “I urge everybody to turn up on Election Day,” said Dutta of Asian American Action Fund. He said voters can show up on Election Day, or mail their ballots through early voting.