As City Comptroller John Liu’s mayoral campaign forges on in the wake
As City Comptroller John Liu’s mayoral campaign forges on in the wake of a federal investigation that led to the convictions of two members of his campaign team for illegally raising campaign funds, New York’s Chinese community has reacted with both support and disappointment. For many, Liu represents the community’s first real shot at a chance to see an Asian American in a high-profile position of power in New York. The allegations of corruption and the resulting arrests of former campaign treasurer Jenny Hou and campaign fund-raiser Oliver Pan have alternately been interpreted to be the result of federal entrapment and further proof that civic engagement in the US can only lead to trouble for a community with an historically low level of participation in politics.
But as the fastest growing demographic in the US, the Asian American community has slowly but steadily become more important to politicians as its civic engagement has risen in response to increased affluence. Additionally, Asian American populations have grown in swing states like North Carolina and Virginia.
Liu, a Democrat who served on the City Council before being elected New York City Comptroller in 2009, was celebrated within the Asian American community as the first of its own to be elected to a city-wide office. Although Liu has suffered in polls as a result of the corruption scandal, the Chinese community is still widely supportive of his candidacy. Various community representatives in Flushing and New York City Chinatown have voiced their continued support. As a Democrat, he aligns with the political leanings of most Asian Americans, who in recent years have increasingly voted Democrat.