The Tri-Counties Democratic has unanimously endorsed Sukhee Kang in the open 29th Senate District seat, which is at the confluence of Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. The club, based in Diamond Bar, encompasses Democratic activists in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The 29th District is located at the confluence of Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Kang was endorsed previously by the Chino Valley Democratic Club.
“The Tri-Counties Democratic Club is delighted to endorse Sukhee Kang unanimously in Senate District 29,” said Peggye Jackson, president of the club. “This seat has never in recent times been held by a Democrat, and Sukhee is the only Democrat with the background, experience and track record of winning elections to take the seat back from the Republicans. The Tri-Counties Democratic Club will do everything possible to ensure Sukhee succeeds in the campaign.”
“I am delighted and gratified that the Tri-Counties Democratic Club has decided to unanimously endorse my candidacy for the Senate,” Kang said. “This endorsement is another sign that we will have across-the-board Democratic Party support in my Senate race, and I look forward to working with the Tri-Counties Democrats to help win not only this seat, but other races in the three counties this year.”
Kang previously won the endorsement of Eric Bauman, chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and vice chair of the California Democratic Party, and San Bernardino County Democratic Chair Chris Robles.
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, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. The district is currently represented by former 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. The Irvine Chamber of Commerce also recognized Kang in 2010 as “Business Leader of the Year.”
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, 35, and Angie, 33, 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.