State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced his support for Sukhee Kang, Democratic candidate in the open 29th Senate District, located at the confluence of Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Kang has now won endorsements from five statewide officeholders – Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Treasurer John Chiang, Controller Betty Yee and Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, in addition to Superintendent Torlakson.
“Sukhee Kang has been a life-long proponent of education for all, and his record backs up his rhetoric,” Torlakson said. “From his service as a board member of the Korean American Scholarship Fund, to his leadership in starting and funding the Irvine Education Partnership Fund, to his being a Chancellor Fellow at Chapman University, Sukhee has truly been an education leader. I am proud to support his candidacy for the state Senate, in which I once served.”
“I am delighted and proud to receive the endorsement and support of Superintendent Tom Torlakson,” Kang said. “As a member of the Assembly and the Senate, he made a real difference in so many areas, especially education and transportation. As superintendent, he has been a tireless advocate for ensuring that our public schools in all parts of the state are serving students’ educational needs.”
A three-term member of the Assembly, Torlakson was elected to the state Senate in 2000, defeating a Republican incumbent. In his first term in the upper chamber, he chaired the Senate Democratic Caucus, as well as the Transportation and Housing Committee. In his second Senate term, Torlakson chaired the important Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Schools and Community. His legislation streamlined and improved California’s after-school programs and provided $2.9 billion in additional funding to the state’s lowest performing schools. He was elected superintendent of public instruction in 2010, and reelected in 2014.
Kang was a two-term city councilmember in Irvine, as well as a two-term mayor of the city, reelected overwhelmingly in 2010 with more than 64 percent of the vote. He and his wife Joanne, also a South Korean native who immigrated to the U.S. with him in 1977, have been residents of Orange County for 38 years and now live in Fullerton.
Kang announced his candidacy for the open 29th Senate District on April 22, the first Democrat to do so, and has since picked up dozens of endorsements from state and local officials and community leaders throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties, including Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de León, Senate Majority Leader Bill Monning and Senate Democratic Caucus Chair, Sen. Connie Leyva. The district is currently represented by Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff, who cannot run again due to term limits.
Kang has been recognized numerous times for his outstanding public service and community leadership, including receiving the American Diabetes Association’s “Orange County Father of the Year Award” in 2012, the Carnegie Corporation’s “Pride of America” award in 2010, and the International Leadership Foundation’s “Public Servant of the Year” award in 2010. In 2009, Kang was recognized as one of the O.C. Metro’s “Hot 25 Platinum Civic Leaders.”
A veteran, Kang served in the South Korean Army, then graduated from the prestigious Korea University with a degree in agricultural economics, and in 2011 was awarded an honorary doctorate from Dongseo University in Busan, Korea. He also has served a special advisor to the chancellor of UC Irvine, and as an adjunct professor and Chancellor Fellow at Chapman University.
The Kang children, Alan, 34, and Angie, 32, attended public schools in Anaheim, where the Kang family lived for 10 years. Alan, a graduate of USC’s Marshall School of Business, is a manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Angie, a graduate of Berkeley Law School (Boalt Hall), is senior counsel at Hulu.
As soon as insider DEM’S realize that Kang (Win, Lose or Draw) will knock Greg from his “Ex-Officio” role on this committee, I expect the support to come rolling in.
Most on the CC believe GD has bullied his way on to the committee since his was not elected. Many surmise that was the actual reason for his SD-29 race altogether. he would never elected, especially by his peers. Heck the guy couldn’t even PAY HIS DUES! This appears to be near and dear to Greg’s heart and he wouldn’t pay……..Despite having a law degree and a Ph.d. He couldn’t sell appliances at Sears two nights a week (could you imagine buying a Washing machine from him???)
There are rumors this latest stunt and his rumored NEW lawsuit against Anaheim and CATER’s coziness with Mayor Tait will b the last straw. Might even affect his last remaining allies in the DPOC, in ways he should be sorry for.
The good news is, Greg is like food poisoning, it eventually goes away.
Still can’t find anyone associated with DPOC who admits to knowing you, Mr. (or Ms.) “Vasquez” — or much sign of you off of the comments section of this website at all. Who among our mutual acquaintances should I ask to certify your real-life existence?
Trying to establish extra credibility by pretending to be Latino is low. I’m sure that our host would agree — right?
Greg, despite your reputation (of threatening people) you do NOT scare me.
Anyone could ask Eric Bauman, one of the most successful party leaders in the NATION about you. That would settle it.
You can go off on your “your not real” because I don’t know you routine with 100,000 registered democrats in OC . I would counter that with this: the 100-200 OC Democrats I KNOW, an 50 are appalled by you. the others Don’t KNOW YOU or care.
What is up with the racial judgement? “He doesn’t sound Latino”? WTF? What does a white guy, black guy, Mexican sound lie on the internet? Should be misspelling things like Dr. Moreno?
Does Julio Perez pay bills like a “WHITE GUY FROM BRA” OR “A LATINO FROM ANAHEIM”? Do the kids on the street or in the motels say: “HE SOUNDS LIKE A WHITE GUY, NOT A LATINO, SO FEED US FIRST”? What is the matter with you?
Leave my race out of it.
Greg, I think people who comment here are responsible for what they say
I can’t find anyone in the DPOC who supports any of your ramblings
Google is interested in purchasing Greg’s “RACE METER’
How the F$%K can you determine a persons national origin.?
PLEASE SHARE WITH US GREG……..
How about this, Democrats pushed to rezone for Tiny houses. The OC Register ran an article on a couple that rents 425 space in Orange for 1,500. The Tiny house movement is growing. The only people against it were people with kids but families were larger in the 1950’s when most houses had only 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. Average side house in 1950 935 square feet and today 2,500. A lot of families in the 1950’s and early 1960’s had 4 kids what did they do they had two bunk beds in the second room. This is needed for more affordable housing. Come back in Irvine and other cities allow the tiny house movement or small house movement to have a placed for their houses.
All the out-of-town endorsements in the world won’t hide the fact that Kang was part of the $250,000,000 Great Pork fiasco and then skipped town leaving that smoking crater behind him.
Where dines the $250 million number come from? It was $220 million in 2012. Kane was gone by then. And sorry, the villain here is the CEO who couldn’t manage things
Ahh, no. I wouldn’t believe all the crap the Republicans in Irvine spread; they only contested 8% of the Great Park spending and it was directed at Forde & Mollrich….not exactly unbiased