The first — and only — Korean American to serve in Congress was Republican Jay Kim in 1999. Almost 20 years later, five Korean American candidates have the chance of running for the House. Three out of the five candidates also have the opportunity to make history as the first female Korean American in Congress.
Much like the Korean American community as a whole, the candidates that made it to this year’s Nov. 6th election come from diverse background experiences and represent a range of political stances. Meet the five candidates and explore their key issues:
Andy Kim
Running for: New Jersey District 3
Party: Democrat
Twitter: @AndyKimNJ
Website: www.andykimforcongress.com
Andy Kim, 36, is no stranger to public office, or the White House for that matter. He’s worked under President George W. Bush as a conflict specialist as the U.S. Agency for International Development and later under President Barack Obama as a national security advisor. He acted as the director for Iraq on President Obama’s National Security Council. Andy Kim was raised in New Jersey by his Korean immigrant parents. Now, he’s back in Burlington County competing to unseat Representative Tom MacArthur, who has been shown to often vote alongside with President Trump — 94.4 percent of the time. This NJ district is a key district, having voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012 but going to Trump in 2016 by 6%.
Key Issues:
Campaign Finances and Voter Reform
- Make running for office more accessible by encouraging grassroots supporters and increasing transparency of donor contributions.
- Stop voter suppression and gerrymandering
- Source: https://andykimforcongress.com/blog/issue/ofthepeople/
Support the American Worker
- Provide access to job training for workers of all levels and ages
- Support unions, project labor agreements, a livable wage, and safe work environments
- Source: https://andykimforcongress.com/blog/issue/bythepeople/
Supporting Small Businesses
- Remove barriers making it harder for small businesses to compete with large corporations such as reinstating net neutrality, simplifying complicated accounting standards and easing rules that limit access to capital
- Source: https://andykimforcongress.com/blog/issue/bythepeople/
Climate Change
- Recognize that climate change is a priority
- Stop offshore drilling in New Jersey
- Focus on recovering from Superstorm Sandy and preparing for the next one
- Source: https://andykimforcongress.com/blog/issue/bythepeople/
Improve Medicare and Social Security
- Expand social security
- Lower prescription drug costs for Medicare
- Protect people with pre-existing conditions
- Source: https://andykimforcongress.com/blog/issue/forthepeople/
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Lisa Shin
Running for: New Mexico District 43 House of Representatives
Party: Republican
Twitter: @ka4_trump
Website: www.lisasfor43.com
Lisa Shin, an optometrist, highlights her experiences as a healthcare provider and a small business owner as she runs for state representative. This is her first time running for public office, but she is politically invested as the head of Korean Americans for Trump, whose mission is defined as “a volunteer, grass-roots driven initiative to support the Trump agenda and advance conservative principles.” She is a first-generation Korean American, the daughter of Korean immigrant parents.
Key Issues:
Gun Control
- Supports voluntary and lawful possession of concealed weapons on school campuses, by trained faculty and staff
- Strengthen our NICS (National Instant Background Check System), to ensure that our states release criminal and mental health records to the NICS
- Source: https://www.abqjournal.com/1226466/qampa-house-district-43-candidate-lisa-shin.html
Immigration
- Does not support New Mexico becoming a sanctuary state
- Source: https://www.abqjournal.com/1226466/qampa-house-district-43-candidate-lisa-shin.html
Affordable Healthcare
- Supports a fiscally sustainable and robust healthcare market for both private and public health insurance to provide people with more freedom and options
- Source: https://www.ladailypost.com/content/dist-43-candidate-lisa-shin-shares-vision
Make New Mexico More “Business Friendly”
- Prioritize vocational education and technical career training.
- Ease the regulatory and tax burden on small businesses.
- Source: https://www.abqjournal.com/1226466/qampa-house-district-43-candidate-lisa-shin.html
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Pearl Kim
Running for: Pennsylvania District 5
Party: Republican
Twitter: @PearlKimPA
Website: www.pearlkimforcongress.com
If elected, Pearl Kim, 39, will be the first women of color ever to be elected to US Congress in Pennsylvania. For nine years, Kim worked as an assistant district attorney in Delaware County in the Special Victims and Domestic Violence Division and was chief of the vision’s Human Trafficking Unit. When asked about why she decided to run for Congress, she feels that her experience as a survivor of sexual assault is part of what motivates her. Not receiving any funding from national parties and having left her job as a prosecutor, Pearl Kim considers herself “unbought and unbossed.”
Key Issues:
Immigration
- Should secure borders and promote legal immigration
- Dreamers under DACA, who have otherwise followed our laws, should be afforded a path to citizenship
- Source: http://www.pearlkimforcongress.com/
Healthcare
- Healthcare is a fundamental right and that each state should be in charge of covering its residents
- Source: http://www.pearlkimforcongress.com/
Energy
- Supports ‘All-of-the-above’ energy policy by tapping into domestic fossil fuels and utilizing renewable sources
- Source: https://sustainablepoliticianproject.com/pennsylvania/
Economic Growth
- Holding the line on taxes and focusing on maintaining and creating both tech and manufacturing jobs in the region.
- Source: https://www.phillymag.com/news/2018/04/09/women-congressional-candidates-philadelphia/
Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking
- Expand protections for victims on human trafficking and work on a regulatory framework that protects sexual assault victims on college campuses.
- Source: https://www.phillymag.com/news/2018/04/09/women-congressional-candidates-philadelphia/
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Young Kim
Running for: California District 39
Party: Republican
Twitter: @YoungKimCD39
Website: www.kimforcongress2018.com
Young Kim’s run for Congress has been two decades in the making. Kim, 56, worked with U.S. Rep. Ed Royce for 21 as director of Asian affairs and eventually becoming his Director of Community Operations. In 2014, she served one term as an assemblywoman, becoming the first Korean American Republican Woman ever to serve in the California state legislature. Young is also a well-known Television Talk Show Host, having hosted “LA Seoul with Young Kim” on KSCI-LA 18 from 1998 to 2005 and “Real Talk” on Arirang-TV in 2011. When asked about President Trump, she told the Los Angeles Times, “I try to tell them I’m not running to be his spokesperson or represent Donald Trump in the White House.”
Key Issues:
Immigration
- Wants to reform the immigration system and increase border security.
- Supports finding a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers (young people brought to the country illegally as children).
- Supports chain migration – allows citizens to sponsor family members to join them.
- Does not approve of sanctuary state for California.
- Sources: https://www.kimforcongress2018.com/issues/ and http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-young-kim-39th-district-20181005-story.html
Keeping America Safe
- At home, Young knows we must make sure that our first responders have the equipment that they need to deal with new and evolving threats to our security.
- Source: https://www.kimforcongress2018.com/issues/
Small Businesses
- will work to reduce unnecessary regulations, increase trade, and work with state and local leaders to create an environment where business can prosper and create good paying jobs.
- Source: https://www.kimforcongress2018.com/issues/
Education
- She will fight for increased STEM education funding and to make sure education dollars go to teachers and classrooms not bureaucrats in Sacramento or Washington, D.C.
- Source: https://www.kimforcongress2018.com/issues/
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Thomas Oh
Running for: Virginia District 8
Party: Republican
Twitter: @OhForCongress
Website: www.letuschangecongress.org
Thomas Oh is a political newcomer hailing from Northern Virginia. Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminology, Law, and Society, with a minor in Intelligence Analysis and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration from George Mason University. He also enlisted then served as an Active Duty Army Officer overseas until his honorable discharge in 2017. Thomas continues to serve as a Captain in the United States Army Reserve while working in project management.
Key Issues:
Reducing Taxes
- Removing Income Tax and applying a National Sales Tax
- Taxes will be higher for luxury goods, lower for inferior goods, and moderate for normal goods.
- Source: https://www.letuschangecongress.org/payinglesstaxes
Protecting the 2nd Amendment
- Support putting restrictions on the sale, purchase, and possessions of firearms on those with a serious criminal history
- Does not support abolishing the ATF, does support United Nations Small Arms Treaty
- Wants to establish “universal concealed carry”
- Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/2nd-amendment-moderate-republican-thomas-oh-thomas-oh/?published=t
Anti-Discrimination
- Wages of employees will be audited to ensure equality in the work environment
- Source: https://www.letuschangecongress.org/antidiscrimination
Transportation
- Wish to serve on the Transportation Committee to bring federal funding to improve the 8th district which has the Reagan National Airport, Potomac River for maritime transportation, roads, and metro
- Source: https://www.letuschangecongress.org/modernizingandimprovingtransportati
Immigration
- Expedite work visas
- Expand legal immigration but still hold everyone to the same standard
- Source: https://www.letuschangecongress.org/immigration
