Getting out the vote: Asian-Americans a target group for US midterm election campaigns
- In crucial US congressional elections, candidates hoping for more engagement and turnout seek swing voters on WeChat and urge participation
As the United States braces for what Democrats and Republicans alike are calling the most critical midterm elections in decades, voter turnout will be crucial.
At 6 percent of the US population, Asian-Americans don’t yet constitute a major national voting bloc. But they may well make a difference in local races.
One such race is in Southern California, in the 39th Congressional District. Covering parts of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties, the 39th District is 30 per cent Asian-American.
Its Congressional seat is also open, as the district’s long-time Republican representative, Ed Royce, is retiring. Gil Cisneros, the Democrat, is a Navy veteran who became a philanthropist after winning US$266 million in the state lottery; the Republican candidate is Young Kim, a Korean-American state legislator who had worked for Royce.
Long considered Republican territory, the district voted for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate, in 2016 and recent polls have the two campaigns more or less tied, trading leads by one percentage point in each poll.
Asian-American voters have historically turned out in support of Asian-American candidates, and to make up for his demographic weakness, Cisneros has campaigned frequently with Chinese-American Representative Judy Chu of California's 27th District.