Filipino American's public journey from conservative Republican to Democratic candidate for Congress

George Conway

The political metamorphosis of George Conway  from a lifelong conservative Republican to a Democratic congressional candidate has been driven primarily by his vehement opposition to Donald Trump.

On December 22, 2025, the man who once spent his days in the halls of the Federalist Society officially filed paperwork to run for Congress as a Democrat. He’s aiming for New York’s 12th District, looking to fill the shoes of the retiring Jerry Nadler in what is arguably the bluest slice of the Big Apple.

“I’m going into the arena. I’ve already put my money where my mouth is, but now it’s time to lay it all on the line,” Conway wrote in a social media post Monday before filing his papers.

Conway was a staunch Republican and a member of the right-wing Federalist Society for decades. His political journey isn’t just a political pivot; it’s a full-on leap across the aisle in a high-stakes battle for the nation’s soul. 

In the 1990s, he worked on conservative legal efforts including the lawsuit by Paula Jones against President Bill Clinton.

He initially supported Trump's 2016 campaign and was considered for several high-level Department of Justice positions, including Solicitor General. Conway turned them down, later describing the early Trump administration as a "sh*tshow in a dumpster fire." He began to see the administration not as a conservative movement, but as a "personality cult" that he could no longer support.

Personal toll

His political disagreements with his then-wife, Kellyanne Conway, who was serving as one of Trump's senior advisors, became more public. In 2018, Conway officially left the Republican Party, calling it a "personality cult." 

In her 2022 memoir Here’s the Deal, Kellyanne described George’s constant social media attacks on her boss as a betrayal of their marriage vows. She famously referred to his behavior as "cheating by tweeting."

The high-profile nature of the Conways' disagreement placed significant strain on their relationship. Trump himself frequently mocked the marriage, calling George a "whack job" and "husband from hell," which Kellyanne defended as him "punching back."

The couple's daughter, Claudia Conway, also publicly documented family tensions on TikTok, which added further media scrutiny to their private life. 

In August 2020, both George and Kellyanne announced they were stepping away from their professional roles (the Lincoln Project and the White House, respectively) to focus on their family, but observers noted the damage was already "too far gone." In 2023, the couple divorced.

Anti-Trump activism

 He co-founded The Lincoln Project in 2019 to persuade disaffected Republicans to vote against Trump. The project's social media advertisements are hard-hitting and most of all, they are highly irritable to Trump.

So, what exactly pushed a lifelong conservative to trade his GOP card for a Democratic primary ticket? It wasn't just one moment, but a series of "dumpster fire" realizations.

After initially being considered for top DOJ posts, Conway turned them down, later describing the early Trump administration as a "sh*tshow in a dumpster fire". He began to see the administration not as a conservative movement, but as a "personality cult" that he could no longer support.

A major trigger was the 2018 appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general. Conway broke cover, co-authoring a New York Times op-ed arguing the move was unconstitutional. This led him to organize Checks and Balances, a group of conservative lawyers sounding the alarm on Trump's "betrayal of bedrock legal norms."

He became known for questioning Trump's mental fitness, later launching the Anti-Psychopath PAC in 2024 to highlight perceived dangers of a second Trump term.

By late 2024 and 2025, Conway’s alignment with Democratic causes became formal and total. In 2024, he donated nearly $930,000 to the Biden Victory Fund and actively campaigned for Kamala Harris.

Conway didn't just disagree with policy; he became convinced of Trump’s psychological unfitness. He co-founded The Lincoln Project to keep Trump from the White House and, in 2024, launched the Anti-Psychopath PAC to keep the spotlight on the perceived dangers of "Trumpism."

Running as a Democrat

Conway's Filipino heritage is through his mother, who was a chemist from the Philippines, while his father was an engineer; He grew up near Boston, attending Marlborough High School, graduating with honors from Harvard College (biochemistry), and earning his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he led the Federalist Society. 

He clerked for a federal judge, then joined the prestigious law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, becoming a partner by his mid-30s. 

Apparently, the event that made him decide to leave the sidelines and enter the political ring was his frustration with Senate Democrats who "caved" during government reopening negotiations in late 2025. Feeling the need for more "fearless" fighters in the arena, he decided to run himself, aiming to act as a legal "wingman" for Democrats like Jamie Raskin.

Conway is now entering a crowded primary field that includes names like Jack Schlossberg (JFK's grandson), but his message is clear: he’s gone from defending the conservative line to a "seasoned fighter" for democracy.

He describes himself as "going into the arena" to protect the rule of law and constitutional principles, which he believes the current Republican Party has abandoned.

“We need Democrats to take over Congress — and not just any Democrats, but the most fearless and relentless ones,” Conway wrote in social media prior to filing his candidacy. “The next two years will show us exactly how much lawlessness Republicans will accept. Doing nothing is the same as saying yes.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge. 

Andrew Yang leaves the Democratic Party

Andrew Yang is no longer a Democrat.

Andrew Yang, a former presidential and New York City mayoral candidate announced Monday he is leaving the Democratic Party.

“I’ve been a Democrat my entire adult life,” Yang wrote in a blog post explaining his decision. “And yet, I’m confident that no longer being a Democrat is the right thing.”

Tech entrepreneur Yang, who has never held an elected office, surprised the Democratic Party with his unconventional campaign seeking the Democratic nomination for President and the support he was able to generate, especially among young people.

"I'll admit there has always been something of an odd fit between me and the Democratic Party," Yang said in a statement. "I’m not very ideological. I’m practical. Making partisan arguments – particularly expressing what I often see as performative sentiment – is sometimes uncomfortable for me."

He made clear that he is not advocating for others to leave the Democratic Party, but by becoming an independent, he believes he will be able to reach the growing segment of unaffiliated or disaffected voters 

“I believe I can reach people who are outside the system more effectively,” he stated.

Following is Yang's statement explaining his decision:

"I changed my voting registration from ‘Democrat’ to ‘Independent’ today. It was a strangely emotional experience.

"I registered as a Democrat back in 1995 when I was 20 years old to vote for Bill Clinton’s re-election. It was a no-brainer for me. I went to a college that was very liberal. I lived in New York City. Everyone around me was a Democrat. Bill Clinton vs. Bob Dole? Clinton was one of the youngest presidents when he was elected and seemed more in tune to me, as a 20 year old.

"Keep in mind that I grew up the son of immigrants and my family did not talk about politics at all growing up. I still have no idea how or even if my parents voted. I have a vague recollection of my Mom watching a debate and saying, “I don’t like him” but I can’t remember who she was referring to. She doesn’t remember either.

"Throughout my twenties I remained a staunch Democrat, though like many others I was drawn primarily to national races. I co-hosted a small fundraiser for John Kerry’s campaign at a bar when I was 29 – I think we raised maybe $3,000. I thrilled to Barack Obama’s victory in 2008 and, to a lesser extent, his re-election in 2012. Around this time I was invited to the White House to receive recognition by the Obama White House as both a Champion of Change and a Presidential Ambassador of Global Entrepreneurship as the founder of a non-profit, Venture for America that helped create hundreds of jobs in the Midwest and the South. Bringing Evelyn to meet the President was a lot of fun.

"In 2016, I donated to Bernie Sanders’ campaign – everything he said struck me as true – but then voted for Hillary Clinton against Trump.

"When Trump won, I was surprised and took it as a red flag and call to action. Having spent six years working in the Midwest and the South I believed I had some insight as to what had driven Trump’s victory. I spent several years making the case for what I believed was the major policy that could address it – Universal Basic Income.

"As you’d imagine, as a Democratic presidential candidate, I met a lot of Democrats around the country. Literally thousands. At first, many didn’t know what to make of the odd Asian candidate talking about giving everyone money. But over time I established deep relationships with some of the local leaders who have worked in party politics for years. Al Womble in Iowa, Steve Marchand in New Hampshire, Jermaine Johnson in South Carolina and others.

"I also became friends with some of the other candidates out in the field. Cory Booker, Michael Bennet, Pete Buttigieg and Beto O’Rourke are people I’d consider friends who are motivated by the right things. As I’ve become more of a household name, I’ve worked with many senior officials. I headlined several fundraisers for the DNC and participated in fundraising appeals. I was a surrogate for Joe for months.

"I spent weeks in Georgia trying to help win the seats for Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock, helping raise millions to do so. I’m proud of helping to activate Asian American voters in what I believed were historic races.

"And running for mayor, I similarly met and became friends with activists and elected officials who are longtime public servants on the Democratic side. People like Grace Meng, Ritchie Torres, John Liu, Carlos Menchaca, Kenny Burgos, Vanessa Gibson and Dan Rosenthal are excellent.

"Again, I have at this point dozens of friends and confidantes who are entrenched in the Democratic Party. I’ve been a Democrat my entire adult life.

"And yet, I’m confident that no longer being a Democrat is the right thing.

"Please, keep in mind that I am NOT suggesting that you also change your voter registration to Independent, as I have done. Doing so could disenfranchise you if you live in the 83% of the country that is very blue or very red. For this reason, I considered either not making this change or not talking about it.

"So why do I feel in my heart that this is the right move?

"While it was simply a small piece of paperwork, I genuinely felt a shift in my mindset as soon as I signed it.

"My goal is to do as much as I can to advance our society. There are phenomenal public servants doing great work every day – but our system is stuck. It is stuck in part because polarization is getting worse than ever. Many of the people I know are doing all of the good they can – but their impact is constrained. Now that I’m not a member of one party or another, I feel like I can be even more honest about both the system and the people in it.

"The key reform that is necessary to help unlock our system is a combination of Open Primaries and Ranked Choice Voting, which will give voters more genuine choice and our system more dynamism. It will also prevent the spoiler effect that so many Democrats are concerned about, which is a byproduct of a two party system with a binary contest and simple plurality voting.

"I believe I can reach people who are outside the system more effectively. I feel more . . . independent.

"Also, on a personal level, I’ll admit there has always been something of an odd fit between me and the Democratic Party. I’m not very ideological. I’m practical. Making partisan arguments – particularly expressing what I often see as performative sentiment – is sometimes uncomfortable for me. I often think, 'Okay, what can we actually do to solve the problem?' I’m pretty sure there are others who feel the same way I do.

"I’ve seen politicians publicly eviscerate each other and then act collegial or friendly backstage a few minutes later. A lot of it is theatre.

"I’ve also had people publicly attack me and then text or call me privately to make sure that we were still cool. It just had to be done for appearances.

"Perhaps it’s the nature of my upbringing, but I’m actually more comfortable trying to fix the system than being a part of it.

"One very senior Democrat member of Congress texted me to say, “I’m sorry to see you go. But I know you’ll do as much good as you can from the outside. And eventually, remember the outsiders become the insiders.”

"I’ve got to say it feels really good to be building my own team. This is where I’m most at home.

"Recently, in an interview I commented that I wasn’t particularly driven by a desire to hold office. I’m working for impact.

"Breaking up with the Democratic Party feels like the right thing to do because I believe I can have a greater impact this way.

"Am I right? Let’s find out. Together."

Kamala Harris seeks to steer Democrats towards issues important to people of color

Sen. Kamala Harris urges the Democratic Party to embrace its greatest strength - diversity.

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY is embroiled in a debate over what direction to go: try to woo the white moderate Trump voters or double down and increase the get-out-the-vote efforts for minority voters who overwhelmingly vote for Democrats.

Traditional Democrats say going after the minority vote would alienate white voters, most of whom voted for Donald Trump in 2016.

“I have a problem, guys, with that phrase, ‘identity politics,’” Sen. Kamala Harris told the progressive gathering Netroots Nation over the weekend. “Because let’s be clear, when people say that, it’s a pejorative. That phrase is used to divide, and it is used to distract. Its purpose is to minimize and marginalize issues that impact all of us. It is used to try and shut us up.”


“These issues that they’re trying to diminish and demean,” she added, “are the very issues that will define our identity as Americans.”

While the Democrats debate among themselves, the Republicans have already used "identity politics" to their advantage. The GOP has successfully rallied white voters by xenophobic messages against people of color and immigrants 

Critics — including from some within the Democratic Party — say that a full-out embrace of racial, ethnic and gender issues could distract from a broader Democratic platform that includes the economy, environment and health care.

Harris, who might be a Presidential candidate in 2020, pointed to civil rights, women's reproductive rights, criminal justice and immigrant rights, saying "we won't be silent" about those issues.

"These are the very things that will define our identity as Americans," Harris said. "This is about American identity."

The first-term senator from California has surged into a tie with Sen. Bernie Sanders(I-Vt.) as the betting favorite among potential Democratic candidates to win the 2020 presidential election.

Betting site Oddshark lists Donald Trump as the runaway favorite to win in 2020, with betting odds of +140. However, Harris and Sanders each hold the second-best odds at +1,200, as of Aug. 7.

Oddschecker, a site that averages odds across different betting platforms, gives Harris the best odds to win the Democratic nomination, followed by Biden, who has emerged as the favored candidate among Democrats in a number of recent polls.

"The Russians know that racism and other forms of hate have always been Americans' Achilles' heel, and we need to deal with that weakness," said Harris, the daughter of immigrants and whose mother was from India and father from Jamaica.

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Also speaking at the gathering of progressive activists included Massachusetts' Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New Jersey's Sen. Cory Booker, and rising progressive stars like New York gubernatorial hopeful Cynthia Nixon spoke at a conference attended by hundreds of Democratic activists. But it was Harris' speech that had the audience buzzing about her presidential aspirations.

Netroots Nation is an important  stop for Democratic presidential aspirants who are courting the party's progressive base, made up by those who want the party to move further to the left. They are bolstered by the growing anti-Trump Resistance, including Black Lives Matter activists, organizers of the Women's March and gun-control advocates.

Despite the progressive credentials of Netroots, the meeting itself was the protested by people of color. At one point, they took over the stage. They wanted more meaningful and  decision-making roles. They felt they were spending too much time educating their white allies how to be comfortable with their more radical tactics and ideas.
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Indian American CEO of Democratic Party bats for working class.

TWITTER

Seema Nanda takes over CEO post for the Democrats.

INDIAN AMERICAN Seema Nanda, who took over as the CEO of the opposition Democratic National Committee (DNC) on July 23, has vowed to fight for the “soul of the country.”

"Our party is strong because it's built on forging positive solutions that include everyone. I'm proud to be the first Asian American in recent memory to lead the DNC. Democrats are leading with our values and empowering people from diverse backgrounds to speak up and make our voices heard," Nanda said.

She takes her new position in the midst of the critical mid-term elections in November when Democrats hope to take over the House of Representatives and/or the U.S. Senate.

RELATED: Seema Nanda named CEO for Democrats

“We are fighting now for the soul of our country — for our democracy and for opportunity,” she said. Ms. Nanda is the first Indian American ever to be the Chief Executive Officer of national committee of either of the two parties.

“Democrats are offering the positive solutions so desperately needed right now — solutions forged by the strength of our diversity, the rigour of our ideas, and the decency of our values,” she said. “Since (Donald) Trump took office, it’s been clear that the number one best way for us to set our country back on track is to elect Democrats in every corner of our country. That’s why I took this job,” said Nanda, in her first message to Democratic supporters.

Nanda said supporting the Democratic party is synonymous with building a future for the children that they can be proud of.

“My promise to my two teenage boys is to do all I can to create an America that is bright, fair, and that works for everyone — where opportunity for all means something,” she said.
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