Judy Chu trounces rivals in congressional race [Updated]

State Board of Equalization member Judy Chu has won the special election for the 32nd Congressional District seat to become the first Chinese American woman in the House of Representatives.

With 100% of the ballots counted, Chu, a Democrat, had 62% of the vote in Tuesday's election for the San Gabriel Valley-based seat vacated when Hilda Solis became U.S. Labor secretary.

Republican Betty Tom Chu, Judy Chu's cousin by marriage, was a distant second with  33%.   The third candidate on the ballot, Christopher M. Agrella, a  Libertarian, polled 5%.

Judy Chu became a crossover candidate in the district traditionally represented by a Latino by building a multi-ethnic coalition and winning the backing of organized labor.   She emerged in first place in a 12-way primary May 19 but fell short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff.

As the vote tally neared an end, California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton congratulated Judy Chu and issued the following statement:

“The California Democratic Party is excited to have Judy Chu as our newly elected Congresswoman in Congressional District 32.  Chu is an experienced legislator and committed Democrat who will improve the lives of the people she will represent.

“Chu will play an integral role in helping Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama advance a national agenda to improve our schools, reform health care and create more middle-class jobs for Americans.”

The district is heavily Democratic.

--Jean Merl

 

Comments

[Lysette]

Is her name Judy or Betty or both? A Betty Chu yelled at me the other day in Alhambra and then told me she was running for congress. Like I'm supposed to quake in my boots or be impressed. I couldn't have been more unimpressed by Ms. Chu and I thought it was pretty funny because someone running for office should try to have a more charming personality. How embarassing for her and indicitive of how she copes with stress.

[Chas]

Wow...I'll bet there will be some awkward silences at the next Chu family get-together.

[ben clansy]

My memory might be fuzzy here but wasn't there a Chinese-American woman representing Hawaii back in the 1980s. I am not talking about the late Rep. Patsy Mink but someone else.

All the best,

Ben Clansy

[Jason]

Judy has been a very strong anti-lobbist advocate in her role on the state board of equalization. I hope she remains true to herself and her constituents.

[Alice]

Lysette,

If that was true, that may have been Judy Chu's Republican opponent in the race, Betty Tom Chu. They have the same last name and are related by marriage.

[Ricky]

To Ben, that was Patricia Saiki, she is Japanese American.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Asian_Pacific_Americans_in_the_United_States_Congress

[Joe Galu]

if all the votes have been counted, why isn't there a vote count in the article?
It could be at the end, like a scoring summary in football.