For decades, political campaigns paid scant attention to Asian American voters: The population was low. The Election Day turnout wasn’t there. Some had language barriers.
But in the fast-approaching special election to replace scandal-tanked Republican George Santos in New York’s 3rd Congressional District, voters from the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities could help determine the outcome.
About 18% of the district’s electorate is Asian American, according to the nonpartisan engagement group APIAVote.
And from downing shrimp dumplings to taping Lunar New Year greetings in Chinese, the candidates — former Rep. Tom Suozzi and Nassau County Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip — are openly chasing their support in a district that covers parts of Queens and New York City’s Long Island suburbs.
An Emerson College Polling/PIX11 survey of district voters released Jan. 18 showed a tight race, with about 45% of voters behind Democrat Suozzi, 42% backing Republican Pilip, 5% supporting someone else and 9% undecided.
While Pilip led among white and Latino voters, Suozzi was ahead “among the district’s large population of Asian voters,” 60% to 25%.
Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), the first — and only — Asian American woman to represent New York in Congress, is stumping with Suozzi. “I try to tell our Asian communities that we have been used to being marginalized, but in this case, we can be the margin of victory — and that all depends on if they come out to vote,” she says.
On the trail, Meng said, “We’ve been having fun with the different, diverse Asian community groups — dim sum events, Korean barbecue, Korean fried chicken. He’s been going to South Asian restaurants and [on] small-business walks; meeting with religious leaders.”
Suozzi has also campaigned with New York City Council member Linda Lee and with Christine Liu, the first Asian American elected to the North Hempstead Town Council. The campaign said it has advertised with Chinese…
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