Round-Up: How Asian American Candidates Fared in Midterms

By AAV Staff

November 3, 2010

South Carolina: Nikki Haley made history as first woman of Indian descent to be elected a U.S. state governor. Although a noted fiscal conservative in her own right before this campaign, Haley benefitted from national attention due to strong support by former GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, as well as by Indian Americans outside of the state.

Michigan: Democrat Hansen Clarke, an attorney who has served in Michigan's state senate since 2002, also made history as the first Bangladeshi American elected to Congress. He will represent MI-13 in the U.S. House.

Hawaii: In a bright spot for Democrats, the islands state saw the Party reasserting its former dominance across the board, including likely pick-ups in the Congress and Governor's mansion.  A projected pickup by Colleen Hanabusa, who prevailed against incumbent Charles Djou in her race for the HI-01 seat, will join fellow Democrats and Japanese Americans, Mazie Hirono (HI-02) and Daniel Inouye, who both cruised to easy re-election.  Less successful was James "Duke" Aiona -- the current Lt. Governor of Hawaiian, Chinese and Portuguese background -- who fell short in his effort to keep the governor's seat in the GOP, losing to Democrat Neil Abercrombie.

Oregon: After being targeted as vulnerable and waging a hard campaign, incumbent Democrat David Wu will return to represent OR-01 in the House.

Pennsylvania: Iraq War vet and physician Manan Trivedi, an Indian American, failed to oust incumbent Republican Jim Erlach, to represent PA-06.

California: Asian American incumbents in California fared well, with Mike Honda (CA-15), Judy Chu (CA-32) and Doris Matsui (CA-05) easily winning re-election.  Asian American challengers from both parties had a harder time.  Gerald Hashimoto fell far short trying to unseat Barbara Lee in CA-09, while down south, challenger Van Tran failed to oust Loretta Sanchez in the CA-47 battle that had turned ugly toward the late fall.  Despite a strong race, Indian American physician Ami Bera lost a challenge to Republican incumbent Dan Lungren in CA-03.

Louisiana: Considered one of the most vulnerable Republicans this cycle, Rep. Joseph Cao, the first Vietnamese American ever elected to Congress, could not hold onto the seat he had taken in his 2008 surprise upset against from William Jefferson in strongly Democratic  LA-02.  At the same, the LA-03 flipped parties in the other direction, as Democrat Ravi Sangisetty fell significantly behind Jeff Landry, a Republican with Tea Party support.

Kansas: Democrat Raj Goyle trailed well behind Republican Mike Pompeo in the race for KS-04.

Ohio: Democrat challenger Surya Yalamanchili could not unseat incumbent Jean Schmidt in OH-02.

Results are as projected by CNN at 12 Noon Eastern, Nov. 3, 2010. Updates will be posted at http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2010/results/main.results/#val=S.