This post was updated with results from California's 21st District on December 4.
The number of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander lawmakers in Congress will hit a record high, with Democrats reinforcing their existing numbers and Republicans gaining their first members in years. Here’s The Yappie’s latest update on the 2020 congressional races as of December 4 (3pm ET):
The numbers
- Topline: There will be at least 21 AANHPI members in the 117th Congress, up from 20 in the 116th Congress.
- The number of AAPI Senators is set to drop from 3 to 2 with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) becoming Vice President-elect. Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) are scheduled to stand for re-election in 2022 and 2024, respectively, though Duckworth could still be tapped for a role in the Biden administration. California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) could also select an AAPI lawmaker to fill Harris' vacant seat.
- The number of AANHPI House members, which includes non-voting delegates, will increase from 17 to 19. Rep. T.J. Cox (D-California) was the only incumbent to lose this cycle, while Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) is retiring. There are four new members-elect; one of them is Native Hawaiian, and three are Korean American.
Incumbents dominate
According to the Associated Press, most incumbent Asian American lawmakers cruised to re-election, including longtime Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Rep. Judy Chu (D-California).
Filipino American Rep. T.J. Cox (D-California) was ousted in a rematch with three-term Republican congressman David Valadao in California’s 21st District. In his 2018 race, Cox won by less than 900 votes after mail-in ballots were counted, and has not yet conceded.
Incumbent Del. Michael San Nicholas (D-Guam) prevailed in a late November runoff election against former Del. Robert Underwood (D) after neither candidate received 50% of the vote on Election Day. The House Ethics Committee is currently investigating allegations that San Nicolas had an improper sexual relationship with a congressional staff member and broke campaign finance laws.
History made
In Hawaii, Democratic state senator Kaiali'i Kahele defeated Republican businessman Joe Akana to become the second Native Hawaiian elected to Congress since statehood, replacing outgoing American Samoan-born Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D).
Kahele made Native Hawaiian and indigenous rights a key issue in his campaign, the Associated Press reports, and pledged to advocate for the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act in Congress.
Voters in Washington’s 10th District overwhelmingly backed Democrat Marilyn Strickland. Meanwhile, Democratic incumbent Rep. Harley Rouda conceded to GOP challenger Michelle Steel in California's 48th District, and GOP challenger Young Kim also defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros in the state's 39th District. All three are the first Korean American women elected to Congress.
With incumbent Rep. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey) holding onto his seat, the next Congress will be the first to have more than one Korean American representative.
Failed challengers
Several closely-watched Asian American candidates failed to flip seats despite unprecedented efforts to mobilize AAPI voters.
Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon (D) conceded to incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R) on Wednesday, significantly narrowing Democrats’ path to a majority in the Senate. Gideon was endorsed by the Asian American Action Fund in February, and the AAPI Victory Fund and the Indian American Impact Fund also hosted fundraisers to support her.
Elsewhere, incumbent Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) decisively defeated pharma executive Rik Mehta, who previously made history as the first Indian American to win a GOP Senate primary in the state.
Incumbent Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D) fended off a surprisingly strong challenge from 36-year-old progressive immigration attorney David Kim in California's 34th District—an area that encompasses many of Los Angeles’ cultural enclaves like Koreatown. You can view The Yappie's October profile of Kim here.
Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni fell short in his race against Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls (R) in Texas’ 22nd District. The former diplomat had been campaigning in multiple South Asian languages and was bolstered by Hindi and Chinese language video ads from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Filipina American U.S. Air Force veteran Gina Ortiz Jones (D) also conceded in the tight race against Republican Tony Gonzales in Texas’ 23rd District, dashing Democratic hopes of picking up the House seat vacated by Rep. Will Hurd (R).
In Arizona's 6th District, Indian American physician Hiral Tipirneni lost to five-term GOP Rep. David Schweikert after trailing by roughly four points, the Associated Press said on Saturday.
