Thread: CA:Asian-American Up in Hispanic District

Asian-American up in Hispanic district

By DAVID MARK | 1/7/09 4:43 AM EST

In the race to succeed Rep. Solis, former mayor Judy Chu stands to gain from a potentially crowded field.
Photo: AP

A splintered field of Latino candidates could lead to the election of an Asian-American in Southern California’s majority-Â*Hispanic 32nd District, leaving Hispanics with one less voice in Congress at a time when their share of the population is growing.

In the special House election to succeed Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-Calif.), who was recently tapped to become the Obama administration’s labor secretary, former Monterey Park Mayor Judy Chu stands to gain from a potentially crowded field of prominent Latino officeholders that could divide the Hispanic vote and enable her to capture the solidly Democratic, East Los Angeles-based seat.

All the candidates will run on a single ballot in the special primary election. If any one of them wins a majority of votes, that candidate takes the seat outright. Otherwise, the top two vote-getters will square off eight weeks later in a special general election — essentially a runoff.

While the racially diverse district is about two-thirds Hispanic, it also has an unusually large Asian population — roughly 20 percent. As the only prominent Asian candidate in the race — and one who has drawn support from Hispanic voters in the past — Chu could benefit from a concentrated Asian vote to make it into a special general election if the Latino vote is divided among several candidates.

So far, Chu, a former three-term assemblywoman, and state Sen. Gloria Romero, a longtime officeholder whose legislative territory covers about 95 percent of the congressional district, are the only announced candidates. But state Sen. Gil Cedillo and other lawmakers could still jump into the race.

While the district is friendlier to GOP candidates than most minority-majority Southern California seats, almost no one expects Republicans to be competitive in the special primary, likely to be held in April.

A Chu win is contingent on maximizing the Asian vote and picking off support elsewhere, said Jaime A. Regalado, director of the Edmund G. “Patâ€

Hell, couldn't they just Gerrymander the district to fix the outcome? They did in my district, Nydia Velazquez represents my section of Brooklyn and parts of Queens AND Manhattan! If that isn't a PC fixed district I don't know what else could be.

Originally Posted by Ratbstard

Hell, couldn't they just Gerrymander the district to fix the outcome? They did in my district, Nydia Velazquez represents my section of Brooklyn and parts of Queens AND Manhattan! If that isn't a PC fixed district I don't know what else could be.

That woman is not only scary looking, she's just plain scary! Did you hear her addressiong the Hispanic/Latino Congress the other day? She's got a chip on her shoulder the size of Texas and she's gonna make Americans pay! Whooo...you got a scary one there!

She's a radical Hispanic alright...Everything for La Raza and screw anybody else! Sadly I don't see her losing any election any time soon.