Korean American candidates vie for congressional, gubernatorial seats in U.S. midterms

By Chang Dong-woo

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- A number of Korean American candidates are vying for congressional and gubernatorial seats in Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections, with attention focused on Rep. Young Kim's unusual contest against a fellow Republican incumbent in California.

Reps. Dave Min of California and Marilyn Strickland of Washington state, along with Dan Koh of Massachusetts, are competing in Democratic-leaning congressional districts, while Kim faces fellow party incumbent Rep. Ken Calvert, a 17-term Republican veteran, following congressional redistricting.

The redistricting turned Calvert's former 41st district into more favorable territory for Democrats, prompting him to challenge Kim in the neighboring 40th District, which covers parts of Orange and Riverside counties.

In California's June primary, Calvert secured 34.9 percent of the vote, compared with Kim's 20.6 percent, allowing both Republicans to advance to the general election under the state's top-two primary system.

The race has highlighted differences in the candidates' political positioning, with Calvert emphasizing his support for U.S. President Donald Trump and his "Make America Great Again" movement, while Kim has sought to appeal to more moderate voters, according to local public broadcaster KVCR.

Campaign finance disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission showed that Kim's campaign had raised US$10.15 million and spent $10.97 million as of Oct. 14, compared with $7.05 million raised and $6.33 million spent by Calvert's campaign.

Min is seeking reelection in California's 47th district, which election analysts consider solidly Democratic. He received 45.4 percent of the vote in the June primary, nearly double the share secured by his Republican opponent.

Strickland, seeking a fourth term in Washington's 10th district, is also running in a district rated solidly Democratic by the Cook Political Report.

Born to a Korean mother and an American father who served in the 1950-53 Korean War, Strickland previously served eight years as mayor of Tacoma, and currently serves as secretary of the Congressional Black Caucus and whip of the New Democrat Coalition.

Strickland faces Republican Chris Chung, another Korean American candidate. Chung, a pharmacist, previously ran for Washington state insurance commissioner in 2024.

In Massachusetts' 6th District, Koh, a former White House official during former President Joe Biden's administration and Boston mayoral aide, is competing against Republican Micah Quinney Jones, an attorney and military veteran.

Koh, whose father is Korean and mother is Lebanese, has family roots in South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju. His grandfather previously worked at the South Korean Embassy in Washington.

In Oklahoma, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cyndi Munson is seeking to make history by becoming the first Korean American governor in U.S. history in a traditionally Republican stronghold. She faces Republican Mike Mazzei in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Munson, the first Asian American woman elected to the Oklahoma Legislature, currently serves as the state House Democratic leader.

odissy@yna.co.kr
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