7/30/02: San Francisco Examiner: "Dist. 4's crowded house, "
    Andrew Lee, Ed Jew, Fiona Ma and Ron Dudum are all running solid early campaigns for the second open supervisor's seat in District 4 covering Sunset/Parkside . Nine candidates are running.
    According to the Elections Department, Lee turned in 5,411 signatures, validated at 3,006; Ma 2,265, validated at 838; Jew 1,701, validated at 919; and Dudum 1,546, validated at 1,028. Candidates have a week to turn in new signatures to replace disqualified signatures.
    All of the frontrunners sport hefty endorsement lists.
    State Sen. John Burton and Supervisor Aaron Peskin back Ma, who serves part time as Burton's district representative.
    In an interesting twist, Ed Yee, the plumber recently fined for posting American flags over the Italian flags in North Beach, will walk precincts 
with Ma.
    Lee, 28, has the support of Mayor Willie Brown (though it is not listed on campaign literature), Assemblyman Kevin Shelley, District Attorney Terence Hallinan and the powerful San Francisco Neighbors Association, run by his mother Julie Lee.
    Lee has sent out massive amounts of campaign material and brought out huge numbers of supporters to campaign events, but suffers from a slim "customer service" platform and, at press time, a Web site with broken links.
    Jew, a Republican turned independent who worked on Supervisor Leland Yee's campaigns, has picked up the support of the incumbent as well as that of Supervisor Tony Hall.
    Dudum, who has district name recognition after losing in 2000, is staking out the position of grass roots vs. machine. Tom Martin, garnering union support, which may mean money and volunteers, could steal some of Dudum's thunder.
    The Sunset is the most conservative city neighborhood, home to many Irish and Chinese immigrants, families and single-family homes.
    "I think that Sunset voters are extremely principled and fickle," said Yee. "They are not easily deceived by slick politicians. They appreciate genuineness."
    But Yee, according to many insiders, has split the Chinese community in the Sunset by backing a District 4 candidate while running as a Democrat for Shelley's termed-out Assembly seat.

5/14/02 Fort Worth Star Telegram: "New mayor is appointed,"
    Haslet, TX - For the next year, Francis Leong will serve as mayor of this city of 1,300 residents.
    On Monday, the City Council voted unanimously to appoint Leong to succeed Gary Hulsey, who abruptly resigned as mayor last month with a year remaining on his term.
    Council members could have called a special election for September to fill the mayoral or council seat, but they chose to fill the seats by appointment until the next regular election in May 2003.
    Leong, 66, had been mayor pro tem since 1999, when he was elected to Place 1 on the council.
    Leong said he plans to focus on three priorities during the next year:
increasing the city's tax base by attracting businesses, enforcing
ordinances through the Municipal Court, and building a new city hall/fire station.


5/8/02 www.politicalcircus.com: "Virginia Beach Elects First Filipino-American Councilman"
    Virginia Beach, VA Ron Villanueva, became the first Filipino American elected to the Virginia Beach city council.
    Virginia Beach has the largest concentration of Filipino Americans on the East Coast, many of whom are employed by the U.S. Navy.
    Villanueva, a Republican, bested eight other candidates for one of two at-large seats. With 17,329 votes, approximately 20% of all votes cast, he garnered the highest number of votes. 
    Villanueva recently earned the endorsement of The Virginian Pilot newspaper. 
    "As a member of the Old Dominion University Board of Trustees, 
he is known for connecting with students," stated The Virginian Pilot endorsement, which appeared on May 1. 
    Villanueva, age 32, is best known for his work in the community and in getting people to be involved in civic and political affairs. In 1994, Governor George Allen appointed him to the Virginia Equal Employment Opportunity Council (VAEEOC).  In 1998, Governor Jim Gilmore appointed him to the Old Dominion University Board of Visitors.

2/6/02 San Francisco Chronicle: "Burton political machine throttles 
up: S.F. election pits connected insider against newcomer,"  
    With Kimiko Burton, the scion of a political dynasty, trying for her 
first election victory, the race for public defender has become the hottest thing on the city's March 5 ballot.  
    The race has unfolded as a battle between "The Machine" -- the Democratic powerhouse that has dominated San Francisco politics for decades -- and the insurgents who say it's time to give others a chance.  Burton could not be more identified with the city's political hierarchy. She's the daughter of state Senate leader John Burton and niece of the late Rep. Phil Burton. 
    When Jeff Brown, the city's longtime public defender, left last year for the California Public Utilities Commission, the mayor named Kimiko Burton to fill out his term.  Her challenger is Jeff Adachi, a veteran public defender whom Burton fired as one of her first acts in office.  
    "Given her name recognition, it's like running against Coca-Cola," said Adachi, 42.  Adachi worked for 15 years in the public defender's office, the last three as chief attorney. He has shaped his campaign around the machine versus anti- machine theme -- a popular election strategy in San Francisco.  The theme is in his campaign literature, on his Web site and in his speeches. 
    And it's apparent in the endorsements that the two sides claim.  With the help of her father, Burton has lined up almost every elected official representing San Francisco. Among her supporters are Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Assembly members Carole Migden and Kevin Shelley.  The exceptions are some members of the Board of Supervisors, such as Tom Ammiano and Matt Gonzalez, whose platforms in the November 2000 election focused heavily on their opposition to "The Machine" run by Brown and John Burton. The veteran politicos met in college, rose through the state's political ranks and remain close friends.  The mayor, a former defense attorney himself, said he wouldn't have given Kimiko Burton the public
defender's job if he didn't think she was qualified.  Some political
observers say the outcome will reveal whether the rib- cracking hit Brown took in the 2000 supervisor races was an anomaly or a reversal of political fortunes in the city.  
    "If Adachi wins, it shows that someone can emerge from a grassroots coalition and be elected," said Richard Marquez, a Mission District activist and Adachi backer. "He worked hard for the job, and he should get it."  
    The public defender's office, with about 80 attorneys and a $13 million budget, provides free defense work for more than 20,000 poor people a year.  Both candidates trumpet their commitment to serving those with nowhere else to turn in the criminal justice system. They carry liberal credentials, highlighted by their stances against the death penalty and the three-strikes law, and their preference for rehabilitation over punishment.  One major split is over the extent cases should be taken to trial. Adachi strongly favors going to court; Burton is more open to plea bargains.  
    There is another difference between the two candidates: their ability to raise money. Burton has collected $550,000 for her campaign -- an amount unprecedented for the public defender's race.  Burton says she doesn't plan to spend all the money, much of which came from out-of-town donors. Many contributors seem to have more connection to her father's work in Sacramento than to her -- among them are the Long Beach Police Officers Association, the Gary Condit for Congress Committee and the Thomas Calderon for Assembly Committee.  Burton says she intends to abide by the city's voluntary $175,000 spending cap. But she is also benefiting from soft money independent of her campaign that, among other things, has paid for signs posted around town that are in the same colors her father uses for his races.  
    Adachi has raised about $212,000. He, too, plans to stay within the spending limit.  But like Burton, he is banking the extra cash for the election.  
    Burton said in an interview she should be judged on her qualifications and what she'd done.  She points to changes she has made, such as assigning more attorneys to handle juvenile cases and for the first time putting a woman in charge of felony cases. She also has newer attorneys meet regularly with senior staff to discuss cases.      Burton started out as a San Francisco public defender after law school, working in the office for four years in the early 1990s. She says she honed her managerial skills while working for Mayor Brown, where she focused on securing state and federal grants for the city.  
    Adachi says his experience in the public defender's office gives him a better understanding of what's required for the job. Known as an aggressive litigator, he brought more than 100 cases to trial and as chief attorney started a program to help ex-offenders clear their records after they completed rehabilitation programs. He points out that he appointed the first lesbian supervisor in the office.

1/8/02.  San Francisco Supervisor, District 4 (Sunset): 
Fiona Ma, State Senate John Burtons aide
Tom Hsieh, Jr.,  political consultant
Andrew Lee, mayoral liaison
The APA vote only constitutes one-third of the voters.

11/12/01 Associated Press: "Hirono Will Run for Honolulu Mayor, Not Governor,"
    Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, who has spent nearly eight years preparing to run for governor of Hawaii next year, said Friday she will run for mayor of Honolulu instead.
    ``These times demand new and independent leadership,'' she said in a formal announcement. She pledged to ``always put the people first.''
    Hirono cited her efforts to boost tourism, help working families and aid Hawaii's thousands of displaced workers, and said she would continue these efforts as mayor.
    The decision to run for mayor had nothing to do with any polls showing her trailing Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris, a fellow Democrat, who has said he will resign next year to run for governor, Hirono told The Associated Press.
    ``If you let early polls decide, I wouldn't be sitting here today,'' Hirono said from her office.
    Harris said Hirono would have been his major opponent in the Democratic primary for governor, and that Hirono's decision will make it easier for him.
    He said this means he can spend less money in the primary and save his spending for the ``big battle'' in the general election.
    ``My philosophy won't change,'' Harris said. ``I still plan to run hard and give 110 percent.''
    Linda Lingle, Hawaii Republican Party chairwoman and the leading GOP contender in the gubernatorial race, was on the mainland and not available for comment. But she said earlier that her chances of becoming governor would increase if Hirono withdrew from the gubernatorial race.
    ``It doesn't affect our strategy going into the 2002 governors race,'' said Micah Kane, executive director of the Hawaii Republican Party. ``We recognize that there is a lot of uncertainty in the Democratic party.
    ``Two things we're certain about is that Linda Lingle's name will be on the ballot for governor and that our mission to bring balance to Hawaii's political landscape will remain the same,'' he said.
    Hirono declined to comment specifically on her chances against other candidates in the mayoral race, saying, ``I intend to win; I know I can.
    ``I bring to the table broad experience, having worked with the congressional delegation and the Legislature'' Hirono said. ``But I also have the ability to bring people together, which is needed at the city.''
    All of Hirono's political experience has been at the state level, but she said many of her efforts as lieutenant governor have benefitted the city. Before she was elected lieutenant governor in 1994, she served several terms in the House of Representatives.
    ``Particularly after Sept. 11, people are looking to the state and county governments to feel safer,'' she said, noting that 80 percent of Hawaii's population lives on Oahu.
    Hirono said she will have to resign as lieutenant governor when she files her nomination papers next year. She also had to return some of the nearly $500,000 in campaign contributions she has raised for her gubernatorial run.
    Since the donations were made for a campaign for governor, she had to return the difference between the donation limits for the two offices, she said.
    The donation limit for mayor is $4,000 and for governor is $6,000, according to Bob Watada, executive director of the state campaign spending commission.
    However, Watada said there is a question about whether Hirono would have to return all of her campaign donations. He said he is awaiting an opinion from the attorney general's office.
    Hirono is expected to face former City Councilman Mufi Hannemann, current Councilman Duke Bainum, former Honolulu prosecutor and state public safety director Keith Kaneshiro and former Mayor Frank Fasi in the non-partisan mayoral race.
    Hannemann, seen as the front-runner before Hirono's announcement, said her candidacy gives the public more choices. But he said he still feels he is in a strong position.
    ``The economy is my strong area and is the No. 1 issue on people's mind, especially since Sept. 11, Hannemann said. ``If you are in government, they want you to help.''
    Hannemann picked up a third union endorsement Friday, all from unions that supported Harris in the last mayoral election.
    An exploratory committee urging former GOP state Sen. D. G. Anderson to run for governor as a Democrat said Hirono's decision not to run for governor ``reduces the choices for voters.''
    ``We would be hypocrites if we did not admit to speculating about how her decision might help our candidate's chances, although that is anybody's guess at this time,'' the committee said in a statement.
    Hawaii Democratic Party chairwoman Lorraine Akiba said Hirono has a lot of strength as a candidate, and would give voters a good choice for whatever race she chooses.
    Even though the mayoral race is nonpartisan, the Democrats are offering a lot of good choices, she said.
    U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye said he is sure that Hirono's decision was not an easy one.
    ``Her decision is a courageous one, and once again demonstrates her political philosophy that the greater good of the people is more important than personal gain and self-pride,'' he said.

11/8/01 San Jose Mercury News: "New Council Better Reflects Palo Alto's Ethnic Makeup"
    Yoriko Kishimoto, who finished second, becomes the first Asian-American council member in a city where the Asian community accounts for 20% of the population.
    Hillary Freeman, who captured the most votes, becomes the second African-American elected in the city's history. African-Americans make up about 3 percent of Palo Alto residents, and an African-American has not served on the council since 1979.
    Kishimoto has worked on local transportation issues for a decade, has stressed an open and accountable government and strong environmental standards.

11/7/01 RPG Newswire and politicalcircus.com: "Asian American Candidates Score Big in NJ, NY"
    The number of Asian American candidates in 2001 has soared to an all-time high. While many were unable to make it past the primary election to the general election earlier this week, there were some notable milestones.
    In what was perhaps the most watched election in the country, John Liu managed his well-oiled campaign to victory and became the first Asian American to be elected to the New York City Council. Liu gained the early support of the Democratic Party establishment.  After he won the Democratic primary, freshman U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton endorsed him.
    "I've had the opportunity to work with John Liu and have found him to be intelligent, hard-working, and committed to getting results," said Senator Clinton. "John is a tremendous asset to our community and our city. I enthusiastically endorse him for the City Council."
    In other races, former Franklin Township (NJ) Mayor and City Councilman, Upendra J. Chivukula, won his bid for the 17th District of the New Jersey State Assembly. Chivukula, known for his work with U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, helped organize the Congressional Indian Caucus and Caucus on Indian Americans.
    Two other Indian Americans also won. Parag P. Patel won his election to the City Council in Edison, NJ. Patel works as an attorney for the New Jersey Democratic State Committee Lawyers Council. While George James, a Republican candidate for the Westwood Township Council, also won his election.
    Chivukula, James and Patel add to the growing list of Indian American elected officials throughout the nation. Organizations like the Indian American Center for Political Awareness and the Indian American Leadership Incubator helped provide exposure and campaign support for candidates in New York and New Jersey.
    "These wins in New Jersey are further proof that Indian Americans, in particular, are viable," commented Varun Nikore of the Indian American Leadership Incubator. "It should be a signal to the party structures, who often create impediments for candidates new to the system, that they should stand up and take notice of the rising surge of Asian American candidates."
    Several candidates throughout California also won, including: Mark Pulido for School Board in Cerritos and Wen Chang for City Council in Diamond Bar. Meanwhile, several Asian American candidates in Monterrey Park, hoping to fill the vacancy left by State Assemblywoman Judy Chu, crowded the field and lost.
    In Texas, Houston City Councilman Gordon Quan won an easy re-election.
    Special thanks to: Asian Pacific American Agenda Coalition of Massachusetts.  Chart by politicalcircus.com

11/7/01 Sunfiregroup.com 
No API Candidates Come in First in Historic S.F. Municpal Utilities Vote 
Wen Chang Keeps Diamond Bar City Council Seat 
Joseph Chang Retains School Board Seat 
C. Joseph Chang Makes It On To San Marino School Board 
Yuen Stays on Garvey School Board 
Sharon Martinez Succeeds Judy Chu on Monterey Park City Council as Asians Split Vote 
Ken Tcheng Makes It Onto San Gabriel School Board

Nov. 6, 2001
Quan         61%   
Terence    39%
Gordon Quan
At-Large Position 2
Houston City Council
901 Bagby
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 247.2013
gquan@cnl.ci.houston.tx.us
Elected in 1999, term-limited in 2005
Campaign address:
P.O. Box 2405
Houston, TX  77252
713-942-9009
www.gordonquan.org 

Houston City Council, District F (Nov. 6, 2001)
Ellis            76% (incumbent)
Nguyen      24%
Amadi          0%

Don Yeo
Antioch, CA City Council

Bay Area Rapid Transit, District 3 
Roy Nakadegawa     79.4
Alan C. Johnson        20.6
November 2000 Election

Pete Fajardo (Incumbent)
Carson City, CA Mayor
"Carson, a Model of Multiracial Politics, Hit by Discord.  Cultures: Many believe mayor is favoring his ethnic group, Filipino Americans, in city evenly divided among Latinos, blacks, whites, Asians."  11/27/00 Los Angeles Times 
http://www.latimes.com/news/state/20001127/t000113857.html 

Mr. Van Tran
Garden Grove City Council
"Van Tran wants to set a tone with election victory: New Garden Grove councilman wants other Vietnamese-Americans to follow his example."  11/16/00 Orange County Register
http://www.ocregister.com/politics/vietwin01116cci.shtml  

Eric Mar, Esq.
Commissioner
San Francisco Board of Education
555 Franklin Street, Room 106, San Francisco, CA 94102
415 241-6493
fax: 415-241-6429
ericmar@att.net 
Additional information
First elected in 2000
Election in 2004

Leland Yee    42%
John Shanley    17.3%
Tom Hsieh        15.7%
San Francisco County Supervisor, District 4
Run-off between Yee and Shanley in December 2000
Nov. 10 - 16, 2000 AsianWeek.com "San Francisco Supervisor Elections Wrap-Up" http://www.asianweek.com/2000_11_10/feature6_supesresults.html 

Michael Yaki             48%
Jake McGoldrick      52%
San Francisco County Supervisor, District 1 (Richmond)
December 2000 Run-off

Michael Yaki             38.2%
Jake McGoldrick      28.3%
Rose Tsai                  22.1%
San Francisco County Supervisor, District 1 ( Richmond)
November 2000 Election

Lawrence Wong  42%
Aaron Peskin      58%
San Francisco County Supervisor, District 3
December 2000 Run-off

Leland Yee       57.2
John Shanley   42.8
San Francisco County Supervisor, District 4
December 2000 Run-off

Mabel Teng     49.9
Tony Hall          50.1
San Francisco County Supervisor, District 7
December 2000 Run-off
(Ms. Teng lost by 38 votes.  You could have made the difference!  2/2/01 San Francisco Examiner)

Kansen Chu
Candidate for San Jose City Council
10/31/00 San Jose Mercury News: "Diversity figuring into
council race" 
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/local/docs/4sjcouncil31.htm 

George Shirakawa, Jr.
Vice-Mayor
San Jose City Council
1/9/01 San Jose Mercury News: "S.J. mayor taps associate Shirakawa for vice mayor"
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/local/docs/sjcouncil09.htm   

Matthew Lin
San Marino City Council
Elected 2001, first Asian-American on San San Marino City Council

Ben Wong
West Covina Mayor Pro-Tem
Won third term in 2001, with 4,048 votes out of 7,538 ballots cast

Christopher Cabaldon
West Sacramento Mayor

Harry Kim (R)
Mayor
Hilo, HI
First Korean-American mayor
Elected 2000
"Harry Kim Sworn In As First Korean-Am Mayor," 12/6/00 Associated Press, IMDiversity.com
http://www.imdiversity.com/Article_Detail.asp?Article_ID=1895  

Louis Chu
The Colony, TX City Council
(Dallas Fort Worth suburb)