New York City has a record number of Asian American candidates running for the Republican Party in 2024, and local Republicans hope the high water mark will bring new strength to the polls.
Ten Republican candidates of East Asian descent are running in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, following a clear trend in recent years of Asian American voters leaning toward the Republican Party.
“The Asian community is worried that there is another political party that is more in tune with our conservative values on public safety and education,” said Asian Wave Alliance founder and northeastern Queens Senate candidate Iatin Chu. We are becoming more aware of the fact that this is the case.” Chu is running against longtime Democratic incumbent Sen. Toby Stavisky in the 11th District.
Chu, 56, who came here from Taiwan when she was 8 and has two daughters, runs in a district where nearly 40% of residents are of Asian descent.
He said policies approved by elected Democrats, such as cashless bail laws and raising the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18, are contributing to the crime spike, and liberals believe that the average citizen He said it sends a message that he cares more about lawbreakers than he does about lawbreakers.
“That’s what caused the chaos in the city,” Chu said.
Anthony Nunziato, chairman of the Queens Republican Party, said the recent enthusiasm from the Asian American community has been “tremendous.”
“Asian people are rising up. There’s no question they’re injecting life into the Republican Party,” he said.
Republican candidates in Asia told the Post that they are complaining about unacceptable crime and declining quality of life, an out-of-control immigration crisis, and a progressive movement that seeks to chip away at the meritocratic education that is valued in their communities. He said he joined due to several concerns.
Stephen Chan, 57, a former NYPD sergeant and US Marine who immigrated from Hong Kong and has two daughters, is running against Democratic incumbent Aiwen Chu in Brooklyn’s 17th Senate District. . About half of South Brooklyn’s voters are of Asian descent.
Bensonhurst residents say James Madison High School was temporarily closed to students and its gymnasium was used as a shelter for immigrants who moved from the Floyd Bennett Field encampment during heavy rains. When he was arrested, he said it was “the straw that broke the camel’s back” to escape. And the January rainstorm.
“We’re trying to protect our community,” Chan said.
Chan said he believes in immigrants. — Lawful immigration through an orderly and fair process.
“I’m an immigrant, but I’m against open border policies. We need to close our borders. We are a sovereign nation,” he said.
He said he would create laws that would allow police and prosecutors to curb crime, rather than supporting criminals.
“Bail laws are an atrocity,” Chan said. “We want to help the police help us.”
Like Chu, he supports the continuation and expansion of specialized high schools and gifted and talented programs, and the increase of charter schools as an option for students.
He is a parent leader at his daughters’ schools, one of whom currently attends Staten Island Technical High School.
Many Democratic members of Congress are Asian, particularly Queens Representative Grace Meng, State Senator John Lieu, Lower East Side Representative Grace Lee, and Flushing Representative Ron Kim. .
Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin carried a metropolitan district with a large Asian population in 2022, as did Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa in 2021.
Democratic Rep. Kim, who became the first Korean-American elected to Congress in 2012, acknowledged that Asian voters are just as frustrated as other city residents. He survived a close general election in 2022.
He said the Democratic Party, which is in power, has an obligation to fulfill its promises.
Kim said, “The Democratic Party is in a political crisis.” “We have a short time as Democrats to turn things around.”
He said the recently approved state budget addresses issues of concern to Asian Americans, such as public safety.
“Our job as Democrats is to serve the Asian American community. I look forward to serving the community,” Kim said.
Republican Phil Wang, 54, a chiropractor who is challenging Kim, said, “Democrats don’t represent the Flushing community. I don’t hear them talking about crime. We don’t. You have to save yourself.”
Other Republican candidates:
- Joseph Chow is challenging Rep. Meng
- Daniel Mace is vying to challenge Queens Sen. Joe Addabbo.
- Three candidates seeking to challenge Rep. Nilly Rozic — Kenneth Baek, Kenneth Chiu, and Stephen Wang
- Helen Chiu is challenging Rep. Grace Lee in Downtown/Lower East Manhattan.
- Republican Congressman Lester Chan is seeking re-election in a rematch against former Congressman Peter Abate.
