Running for Election to U.S. Congress, California's 42nd CD
Edwin Chau
Edwin "Ed" Chau was first elected to the Montebello Unified School District Board of Education in 1999 and re-elected in 2001 and 2005. He has served as President (twice) and Vice-President.
Ed has volunteered for many community service groups, including the Chinatown Service Center, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, and his church. For his service to the community, Ed has been honored by Los Angeles County, the Rio Hondo Boys and Girls Club, and the California Congress of Parents, Teachers, and Students.
Ed's law practice includes commercial transactions, litigation, corporation, real estate, immigration, landlord and tenant law. In his law practice, Ed frequently represents small business owners and low-income clients. Prior to becoming an attorney, Ed was an Engineer and Programmer for IBM and Unisys Corporation. He holds bachelor degrees in Computer Science and Sociology, both from USC, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Southwestern University School of Law.
Running for Election as State Senator, Iowa's Senate District 18
Swati Dandekar
Since 2002, Rep. Swati A. Dandekar has served the 36th District in the Iowa House of Representatives. She currently serves on the House Appropriations committee, the Economic Growth committee, and the Transportation committee. She also serves as chair of the Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee, and convinced her peers to create Iowa's first Asian American commission, funded through an unique public-private partnership.
The first Asian American to be elected to a statewide office in Iowa, Swati has been an active member of her community for thirty years. She has served on the board of the Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation and the Junior League of Cedar Rapids, as well as the local and state boards of education. She has won many awards for her work, including the local Linn-Mar Foundation Wall of Fame, Asian Alliance of Iowa "Person of the Year," and India Abroad "Person of the Year" Award. She earned her B.S.degree from Nagpur University and her graduate degree from Bombay University.
Building on her three terms as the State Representative for Iowa House District 36, she has announced her candidacy for the Iowa State Senate from Senate District 18 which includes Iowa House Districts 35 and 36. She is running for the Senate seat to to build on her accomplishments in the Iowa House for education, the economy, and the environment, and to do more for health care, government reform and fiscal responsibility.
Running for Election as State Rep. in CA's 22nd A.D.
Paul Fong
Paul Fong was elected to the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees in 1993, and current is serving his fourth term. He has served as President of the Board three times, and also served on the Foothill-De Anza Foundation Board of Directors. Fong also serves on the boards of the California Community Colleges Trustees (CCCT) and at the national Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). He also is a political science professor at Evergreen Valley College, working with young people and inspiring them to be civic-minded and engaged.
In addition to his work in education, Paul has worked tirelessly on behalf of causes such as business, civil rights, affordable housing, and the environment. He has and continues to serve in such capacities as the Child and Adolescent Health Commission; Mental Health Advisory Board; Private Industry Council; Human Development Advisory Planning Council, City of Sunnyvale; Asian Americans for Community Involvement; Silicon Valley Asian Pacific American Democratic Club; Chinese Community Center Board of Directors; Leadership Sunnyvale; Community Housing Developers; Northside Community Center Board of Directors; American Legion, Sunnyvale Post 344; and the NAACP.
Paul grew up in Sunnyvale, California, where he became an award-winning football quarterback, and and went on to earn an M.P.A from San Jose State University and a Master's degree in education from the University of California, San Francisco. He now is building on his many years of community service to run for Congress in California's 22nd Assembly District, which is at the heart of Silicon Valley.
With the election of Laura Richardson to the United States Congress, Warren Furutani announced his candidacy to fill the vacancy left in the 55th Assembly District. On December 11, 2007 Furutani defeated fellow Democrats Mervin Evans and Mike Gipson to win the Democratic primary. On February 5, 2008, he won his runoff against Libertarian Herb Peters and American Independent Party candidate Charlotte Gibson. There was no Republican opponent in this heavily Democratic district.
Mr. Furutani has the distinction of being the only person to serve as president of the board of both the Los Angeles Community College and the Los Angeles Board of Education. His no-nonsense but compassionate approach to getting the job done has earned him praise from all quarters. His extensive list of supporters includes state and local government leaders, business leaders, union representatives, and many parents — whose only cause is a better chance for their children.
A fourth generation Californian born in San Pedro, Furutani attended Los Angeles public schools, graduated from Gardena High School, and attended several local community colleges before getting his B.A. at Antioch College. Aside from his many charitable and public service activities on the local level, Mr. Furutani is a respected leader on the state level as well. He worked as a senior consultant to the Speaker of the California Assembly, the Honorable Fabian Nuñez, and served in that capacity for the last three Speakers as well.
Running for Re-election as State Rep. in OH's 73rd District
Jay Goyal
Jay Goyal represents Ohio's 73rd District in the Ohio House of Representatives. In his freshman term, Rep. Goyal has been appointed to Ways and Means, Public Utilities, Healthcare Access and Affordability, and the Financial Institutions, Real Estate and Securities Committees &$8212; a clear testament to his work ethic and diverse background. He was named the 2007 Ohio Young Democrat of the Year and was one of two members of the Ohio House of Representatives selected by a bi-partisan panel to receive a fellowship for the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development.
Prior to his election in 2006, Jay served as Vice President of Goyal Industries, a manufacturing firm that specializes in products for the mass transit and passenger rail car industry nationwide.
Rep. Goyal sits on the Board of Directors for the Rehabilitation Center of North Central Ohio, Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio, and the University and College Access Network. He serves on the United Way's Allocations and Community Relations Committees, the Richland County Citizens' Vision Board, and Progress Industries Business Advisory Board. He is also active with the Mansfield Indian Association, the Ohio Marwari Association and the Mansfield-Richland Chamber of Commerce.
Running for Re-election to U.S. Congress, California's 15th CD
Mike Honda
Mike Honda, the President of the AAA-Fund Honorary Board of Directors, was elected to represent California's 15th Congressional District in 2000. He also serves as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and House Democratic Senior Whip. He serves on the Appropriations Committee, with postings on that body's Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, Commerce, Justice, and Science, and Legislative Branch Subcommittees.
Mike was born in California, but spent his early childhood with his family in an internment camp in Colorado during World War II. His family returned to California in 1953, becoming strawberry sharecroppers in San Jose. In 1965, Mike interrupted his college studies to answer President John F. Kennedy's call for volunteer service. He served in the Peace Corps for two years in El Salvador, returning with a passion for teaching and fluent in Spanish.
Mike earned Bachelor's degrees in Biological Sciences and Spanish, and a Master's degree in Education from San José State University. He has worked as a science teacher, principal at two public schools, education researcher at Stanford University, and member of the California State Assembly (1996 to 2000).
Running for Election to Congress in Minnesota's 3rd CD
Ashwin Madia
Jigar Ashwin Madia's parents came to America from India and settled in Plymouth, Minnesota. Ashwin is a graduate of Osseo Senior High School, the University of Minnesota, where he was student body president, and New York University Law School. While in law school, he represented unemployed people in hearings to obtain their benefits, and he provided volunteer legal services for an organization that helped developmentally disabled children.
After law school, Ashwin joined the U.S. Marine Corps. His first duty station was Okinawa, Japan, and then he was stationed in Iraq from September 2005 to March 2006. While stationed in Baghdad, he worked with U.S. military and civilian officials, European Union and United Nations representatives, and Iraqi judicial officers to strengthen the Iraqi criminal justice system. He also briefed top U.S. generals on the status of the rule of law in the country.
After finishing his active duty with the Marine Corps in 2006, Ashwin returned to Minnesota and began practicing intellectual property and business law at a local firm. He also performed free legal work as an advocate for victims of domestic violence and for a victim of political oppression overseas. He now hopes to draw on his record of leadership, service, and advocacy to represent Minnesota's 3rd District in the U.S. Congress.
Running for Re-election to U.S. Congress, Pennsylvania's 7th CD
Joe Sestak
Born and raised in Delaware County, former three-star Vice Admiral Joe Sestak was elected to represent Pennsylvania's 7th District in November 2006. This is the District where he and his seven siblings grew up, where he voted throughout his military career, and where he returned after completing his military service to our country.
Joe graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, and spent 31 years serving in the U.S. Navy. After 9/11, Joe was the first Director of "Deep Blue," the Navy's anti-terrorism unit for the "Global War on Terrorism." Joe also served as President Clinton's Director for Defense Policy at the National Security Council in the White House. Between tours of duty at sea, he earned a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University.
Joe included Asian Pacific Americans in his core campaign team in 2006, and is doing so again in 2008. He also made outreach to the local Asian Pacific American community a key part of his campaign in 2006, and is doing it again this year. He has dedicated himself to improving the health, education and economic security of Asian Pacific Americans, and all Americans.
Running for Re-eection as State Rep. in TX's 149th District
Hubert Vo
Hubert Vo is the first person of Vietnamese heritage to be elected to the Texas Legislature, where he serves on the Business and Industry and Border and International Affairs committees and was named Freshman of the Year by the non-partisan Legislative Study Group.
Rep. Vo, a successful businessman, has been a member of the Alief community for over 20 years. He is a council member of Alief Super Neighborhood, Alief YMCA Board, a member of the Houston Association of Realtors, Houston Association of Builders, Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, Houston Apartment Association, Harris County Democrats, West Houston Democrats, Braeswood Democrats and Tejano Democrats.
Rep. Vo attended the University of Houston during the day and worked at Hughes Tool Company as a steel worker at night. In 1983, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He went on to open a computer business and establish several commercial real estate ventures. As a legislator, he has served on both the Border & International Affairs and Business & Industry Committees, and was honored for his relief efforts on behalf of displaced Hurricane Katrina victims.
