17 Fil-Ams running for nat’l, state positions

AP PHOTO

LOS ANGELES—On Nov. 6, all eyes will be on the White House, but many Filipino-Americans are also watching other electoral battles.

Two Fil-Ams are running for seats in the US House of Representatives and 15 others are running for the California State Assembly, Hawaii House of Representatives and State Senate, and the Pennsylvania State House.

There are several other Fil-Am candidates, at least 12 in California alone, vying for local and regional offices.

In Hawaii, seven Fil-Ams–including former Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano, a strong contender for mayor of Honolulu–are running for local posts.

Marisha Agana (R-Ohio), a 52-year-old doctor, is eyeing the 13th congressional district while Robert “Bobby” Scott (D-Virgnia), serving his 10th term in Congress, is seeking reelection for the third district.

Agana, who had not previously held or run for public office, ran unopposed in the March 2012 Republican primary for Ohio’s new 13th congressional district.

Scott, whose maternal grandfather was Filipino, is the first American of Filipino descent to serve in Congress.

In California, three Fil-Ams, all Democrats, are running for the State Assembly: Rob Bonta (18th District), Chris Mateo (12th District), and Jennifer Ong (20th District). Any one of these candidates who clinches a seat will make history, becoming the first Fil-Am State Assembly member in California’s more than 160 years of history.

“This is a historic race and an important moment for us as Filipino-Americans,” Bonta, a strong contender, said in a statement sent to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Bonta, currently Alameda vice mayor and county transportation commissioner, won the June primary and secured the California Democratic Party’s official endorsement.

“We’ve run a strong campaign, and we are cautiously optimistic,” James de los Reyes, Bonta’s campaign manager, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Bonta, who went to Yale and Oxford Universities, got endorsements from, among other prominent supporters, State Senator Leland Yee, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Alameda Mayor Marie Gilmore, San Leandro Mayor Stephen Cassidy, State Controller John Chiang, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, the Oakland Police, the Oakland Firefighters, the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Oakland Tribune.

Many Fil-Am groups, including Kaya: Filipino Americans for Progress, hope Bonta will make history.

Genevieve Jopanda, national cochair of Kaya, said there are 3.4 million Filipinos in the United States and nearly half live in California, “and yet we are not represented at all in leadership positions.”

“Filipinos make up 3 percent of California’s population. If political leadership was to reflect the Filipino population, we should have two Filipino members in the Assembly, one in the Senate, and one in Congress,” Jopanda said.

“Today, we have zero [Filipinos] in the State Assembly, zero in the State Senate, and zero in Congress,” she added.

“The best way to be represented, be protected and get more Filipino-Americans elected is to vote,” she said.

Melissa Ramoso, Kaya-Los Angeles Chapter cochair, said her group organized phone banking to get votes for Bonta while San Francisco volunteers knocked on doors and hosted fundraisers and meet-and-greet events.

In Pennsylvania, Will Sylianteng (151st District), a Democrat, is vying for a seat in the State House.

Eleven Fil-Ams, all Democrats, are seeking state posts in Hawaii, and five of them are running unopposed.

Running unopposed for the House are Henry Aquino (38th District), Romy Cachola (30th District) and Gilbert S. Keith-Agaran (9th District), and two are running unopposed for the State Senate: Will Espero (19th District) and Donna Mercado Kim (14th District).

Other candidates vying for House seats are Della Au Belatti (24th District), Rida Cabanilla-Arakawa (41st District), Marissa Capelouto (42nd District), Ty Cullen (39th District) and Chris Manabat (40th District).

Also eyeing a State Senate seat is Donovan de la Cruz (22nd District).

Honolulu mayoral candidate Cayetano was the fifth governor of Hawaii, serving from 1994 to 2002.

He was the first Filipino-American to rise to the level of governor in any US state. He received 44 percent of the vote in the August 2012 primary, and will challenge Kirk Caldwell on Nov. 6.

Caldwell received 29 percent of the vote in the August primary, while current Mayor Peter Carlisle received 25 percent.

Cayetano is just one of several Fil-Ams running for various local and regional posts in California, Hawaii, Virginia and Illinois.

Candidates in California include Hydra Mendoza (San Francisco School Board), Marilyn Mondejar (San Francisco County Democratic Central Committee), Garry Barbadillo (Milpitas City Council), Hermy Almonte (San Leandro Council District 6), Jose Esteves (Mayor, City of Milpitas), Rebecca de la Cruz Ayson (Daly City Clerk), Jim Navarro (Union City Council), Rudy Nasol (Trustee, San Jose-Evergreen Community College District Area 1), Stewart Chen (Alameda City Council), Wendy Ho (Trustee, San Jose-Evergreen Community College District Area 5), Thelma Boac (Governing Board, East Side Union High School District) and Vince Songcayawon (Evergreen School District Board of Trustees).

In Hawaii, besides Cayetano, there are also at least six Fil-Am candidates for local posts, two of them running unopposed. Vying for seats on the Honolulu City Council are Kymberly Marcos Pine, Joey Manahan and Ron Menor.

Candidates for the Hawaii County Council are Greggor Ilagan (4th District) and Chelsea Yagong (1st district). Don Guzman is running for the Maui County Council.

In Virginia, Leonard Tengco is running for the Virginia Beach School Board and in Illinois, Jessica O’Brien is a candidate for Cook County Circuit Court judge.