Sunday Read: Asian American candidates eye a second run for political office

TWITTER / ANITA MALIK

Anita Malik, left, and Hiral Tipirmeni will be political rivals for the Democratic nomination in Arizona's District 6

They may have lost in their first bids for office, but that isn't deterring six Asian American candidates from jumping into the political fray again.

Andrew Janz, Anita Malik, Hiral Tipirmeni, Srinivas Rao Preston Kulkarni, and Gina Ortiz Jones are reportedly not letting their defeats in 2018 dampen their belief in public service in 2020.


Six months after her loss on Nov. 6, 2018, Hiral Tipirneni, a Democrat who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Congress from Arizona’s District 8, is running again, this time from Arizona’s District 6.

District 8 is a deeply conservative district with a big Republican majority and yet, Tipirmeni, a physician and cancer researcher, had a strong showing against GOP incumbent Debbie Lesko.

By switching to District 6 -- residency is not required -- Tipirmeni will have to win the primary against fellow Democrat and Indian American Anita Malik, who also ran unsuccessfully in 2018.


Malik, a sel-employed businesswoman, announced her intention to run Wednesday (April 17), said that Tipirmeni had called her to let her know of her intention to run in District 6. "In a lot of ways, it's very disappointing," Malik said. "We were never besties. We're friendly. I have great respect for her. ... Not being from the district, it does concern me."

"Our ear has been at the ground of this district for a long time. I'm embedded in this district. This is my home. We know what people are looking for," Malik said in a dig against Tipirmeni. "The idea of 'chosen one' politics, that's not part of our democracy. ... We know what they're looking for. We have the momentum."

District 6 is also GOP-majority but incumbent Rep. David  Schweikert is mired in an ongoing investigation by the U.S. House Ethics Committee, which is examining possible misspending by his office and campaign.

Over in Texas, Kulkarni, a former Foreign Service officer, declared that he would challenge the incumbent for 22nd District seat for the U.S. Congres.

“When I saw partisan tension tearing our country apart, I knew the most patriotic thing to do, and the best way to serve my country, was to run for office,” he tweeted on April 4.

Kulkarni lost his bid in the midterm election to long-time Republican incumbent Pete Olson, by less than 5 percentage points.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Kulkarni will target registering about 70,000 voters he had identified, noting that the Indian American lost by some 14,000 votes in 2018.

On the western part of the state, the 23rd District, Texas' largest district, will see a replay of the last election pitting incumbent Rep. Will Hurd against challenger Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones.

Although Ortiz Jones, a Filipina American Air Force veteran and former White House employee, hasn't formally declared her intention to run, she said right after the Nov. 6 elections that she is "very likely" to run again and has never really stopped campaigning against Hurd, trolling the Republican on social media every chance she could, attacking his professed opposition to a border wall, but reminding everyone that when it came down to it, Hurd voted for funding the Trump wall three times.

Ortiz Jones also tries to debunk Hurd’s reputation for accessibility, tweeting out periodic reminders of how much time has elapsed since the congressman’s most recent in-person town hall.

Having lost by only 926 votes in 2018, the general consensus among Democrats is that the presidential election will  attract more Democratic voters, enough to topple Hurd.

The Democratic National Committee has announced that it will target California's District 22 to turn blue in 2020. But it appears they will have to find a candidate to opposed incumbent Devin Nunes because 2018 challenger Andrew Janz still hasn't announced his plans for 2020.

Janz, who was able to raise over $9 million without the support of the Democratic Party, gave Nunes his first serious challenge for the Central Valley district. Janz strong showing forced Nunes to spend his campaign chest on his own race rather than helping fellow Republican candidates, as he has done in the past, thus helping the Democrats to turn seven Republican districts to blue.

Despite his strong showing, Janz said he will most likely not run for Congress again.
The Thai American candidate's loss to Nunes didn't turn Janz off to politics. Rather, it made him consider another run for office -- the mayor of Fresno. He has been meeting with supporters and family and will make an announcement soon.

“The general consensus in these meetings is there’s no leadership at City Hall,” said Janz, who has returned to his job as a Deputy District Attorney. “And for that reason, I am strongly considering running for mayor.”

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ore here: https://www.fresnobee.com/news/politics-government/article228403084.html#storylink=cpy

AAPI Vote 2018: Asian Americans look towards midterms after primary victories in Arizona and Florida

THREE ASIAN AMERICANS, running as Democrats for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, won their party primaries today (Aug. 28) and now must gear up for the November mid-term elections.

DR. HIRAL TIPERMENI

Indian American Hiral Tipimeni will challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko for Arizona's 8th congressional district just months after they ran against each other in a special election to replace disgraced former U.S. Rep. Trent Franks.

Since Lesko has been in Washington, she cemented her conservative credentials by joining the Freedom Congress, the radical right wing of the GOP.

Tipirneni, a physician and cancer-research advocate came within 5 percentage points of Lesko in April in the conservative district even though Republicans have a 17-percentage point registration advantage.

Tipirneni, who was unopposed, said she looks forward to have the chance to face off again against Lesko. She says the race for the special election was only eight weeks long, and will build on the momentum for the November contest.

“I’m really excited to do this again so quickly,” she said. “We are ready to take on that challenge.”

The close result in the special election was seen as evidence that Democrats are newly competitive in Arizona districts where they haven’t won in a generation.

REP. STEPHANIE MURPHY

In Florida, Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a Vietnamese American, easily won her primary to run for a second term representing congressional district 7.

She soundly beat her opponent, Chardo Richardson, who was endorsed by Social Democrat Alexandria Ocasio Coretez, who unseated incumbent.

"I look forward to a civil general election campaign based on ideas, values, and our different visions for the future of this nation," second-term congresswoman Murphy said in a statement. 

"My campaign is about jobs, security, and equality, and I’m proud of the grassroots support we've received across central Florida. In a time of historic dysfunction, I have a proven record of working with both parties to get results, standing up to the president when he’s wrong, and always putting people over politics."

Republicans have targeted Florida's district 7 as a district it could flip. Republican state Rep. Mike Miller will be Murphy's challenger this November.

SANJAY PATEL

Sanjay Patel, an Indian American activist and organizational transformation consultant is running for Congress in Florida's 8th Congressional District fter winning the Democratic primary Tuesday.

Patel, who was a 1-year old when his family immigrated to the U.S., has two decades of experience in the government, corporate and nonprofit sectors.

“Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has proven that a campaign for the people can be won by the people – even against long odds and established incumbents,” Patel stated in a news release, citing the upstart progressive Democrat who won an upset primary victory over an incumbent in a New York congressional district this spring. “I hope our community will continue to support us as we move our campaign to the streets to knock on doors across the district.”

Although District 8's incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Posey‘s has better name recognition, Patel's grassroots appeals have outraised campaign funds by almost three to one.

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AAPI VOTE 2018: Indian American candidate's moment of truth today in Arizona

Tuesday is the Big Day for Hiral Tipirmeni, right, and Debbie Lesko.

ON THE EVEN of a special election in Arizona's Congressional Eighth District, newcomer exudes confidence even though she's a Democrat in an overwhelming Republican district that hasn't elected a Democrat since 1980.

"I think there are a lot of recent elections to suggest that conventional wisdom doesn't necessarily apply," said Hiral Tipirmeni, who is running for office for the first time. "There's a lot of enthusiasm in our base. We have a large chunk of independent voters that I think are very persuadable, and frankly there are Republicans who are feeling very disaffected."

The Indian/American physician has come from obscurity to pull even with her Republican rival, Debbie Lesko, who has been the district's representative in the state legislature since 2009.

The April 24 contest has become a referendum on Donald Trump. 

Lesko backs three of biggest issues on Trump's agenda: dismantle government health care, build a wall on Arizona's border with Mexico, cut taxes for the top 1% and corporations and cut social security and Medicare to pay for those tax cuts that would raise the national debt.

Tipirmeni is pushing an expanded Medicare plan that would allow people as young as 50 to enroll to opt-in to Medicare coverage, and opposes building a wall with Mexico while boosting enforcement through technology and drones and adding Border Patrol agents. She also supports tax cuts -- for the middle class --  and would protect Social Security and Medicare.

The big question is whether the enthusiasm on the ground is in the Democrats' favor; is it enough to overcome the huge Republican lead in voter registration? Almost three-quarters of the voters have already submitted their ballots by mail, typical of an older electorate. That means the majority of voters cast their ballots before the recent survey that showed the candidates in a dead heat.

Unfortunately for Tipirneni, 49 percent of those who have voted early so far are registered Republicans; only 28 percent are registered Democrats. Nearly 60 percent of the voters in early voting is age 65 or older.

It would be huge upset if Tipirmeni were to win. The GOP has poured money into Lesko's campaign to stanch the bleeding from recent losses in Alabama, Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Even if Lesko wins, if the margin of victory is less than 12 percent, the Democrats would see it as a victory because the District 8 election would set the stage for November when Arizona votes for someone to replace Republican Sen. Jeff Flake in the U.S. Senate.

The Arizona Republic, Phoenix's biggest newspaper, has endorsed Tiipirmeni over Lesko. The paper's endorsement editorial concludes: 

 "Although her stances reflect a Democratic agenda, Tipirneni touts a science-led, data-based approach to policymaking, which could help take the passion out of vitriolic debates over how to deal with entitlement reform or environmental programs, Or how to deal with gun violence, which she views as a public-health issue."

Arizona polls open at 7 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m.
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AAPI VOTE 2018: Indian American physician has pulled even with opponent, says new poll

TIPERMENI FOR CONGRESS

Democratic candidate Hiral Tipermeni is hoping to turn a red district blue.

THE DEEP RED Eighth Congressional District of Arizona is supposed a safe district but a new poll says it is now a dead heat. That's good news for the Democratic Hiral Tipirneni, and Indian/American physician.

A new poll of district voters by Emerson College shows Tipirneni leading Republican state senator Debbie Lesko by a 46-45 margin.

Earlier polls had Lesko leading by double digits. The poll numbers are similar to polls prior to Pennsylvania's vote 18th District where Republicans had a safe lead. Democrat Conor Lamb ended up taking that seat.

Tipirneni was delighted with the poll results Monday (April 16). She says the turnabout was because of her positions on issues that people in the district are most concerned about, particularly the future of health care and Social Security

Riding the Blue Wave, the backlash against Donald Trump, political novice Tipirmeni has even raised more funds that her opponent, a more seasoned politician.

Out of fear of losing another deep-red district, the GOP has begun pouring money into Lesko's campaign. Three groups ― the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC ― have together spent nearly $1 million boosting Lesko’s bid, dwarfing the Tipirmeni's $750,000 war chest.

While local Democratic groups have pitched in, the response from the national Democratic organizations have been disappointing monetarily, perhaps withhoding any cash contributions because the Eighth District is so solidly Republican.

That didn't prevent the Asian/American groups from throwing their support to Tipirmeni.

ASPIRE PAC, AAAFund, AAPI Victory Fund, and the Indian American Impact Fund have endorsed her candidacy and that includes financial support.

Republicans have strong roots in the district and make up 41 percent of registered voters — a huge advantage over Democrats, who only make up 24 percent of registered voters. It’s home to Maricopa County and Arpaio, the racist sheriff known for infringing on the constitutional rights of residents by assuming immigration status. 

Despite Arizona’s fast-growing Latino population statewide, the Eighth District is nearly 90 percent white. Almost half the population is 55 or older. It includes the Sun City retirement community, a massive chunk of the district that consistently votes Republican.

Tipermeni believes her focus on local issues is her strong suit while her opponent rails against immigrants. As a former ER doctor, when she speaks about health care and other safety net issues, people believe her, especially the retirees who depend on Social Security, Medicare or Medicaide. She believes she made inroads on the Republicans who voted for Trump in 2016.

Perhaps there is one sign that the GOP is nervous about the Eighth District. Conservative national media outlets have begun running negative articles about Tipermeni. Unfortunately, national mainstream media have not focused on the Arizona contest, which may be one reason the national Democratic institutions have been slow to react.

“There’s no conventional wisdom that’s applied here,” she told Think Progress. “This is a very winnable race… If there’s a time for change, it is now.”

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