In the U.S. midterm elections held on November 3, Korean American Democratic candidate Dan Koh (41, Korean name Koh Won-young) secured a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the seventh Korean American to hold this position.
According to the Associated Press, as of 10:24 p.m. Eastern Time on election night, with 42% of the votes counted in Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District, Koh had received 64.5% of the votes, significantly leading over Republican candidate Maika Quin Johnson, who garnered 35.6%. His victory is effectively confirmed.
Koh joins the ranks of previous Korean American congress members, including former Congressman Jay Kim (Republican, California), current Senator Andy Kim (Democrat, New Jersey), former Congresswoman Michelle Steel (Republican, California), Young Kim (Republican, California), Marilyn Strickland (Democrat, Washington), and current Congressman Dave Min (Democrat, California).
Using his father's surname, Koh, he previously ran in a different district in Massachusetts in 2018 but lost in the Democratic primary. Having served as a White House staffer during the administration of former President Joe Biden, he successfully returned to the political arena in this election.
Meanwhile, fellow Korean American politicians, Democratic Congressman Dave Min (California) and Marilyn Strickland (Washington), were also successful in their re-election bids.
Democratic candidate Cindy Munson, who aimed to become the first Korean American governor and the first Asian American woman governor in the U.S., lost to Republican Mike Mazzei in Oklahoma.
In California's 40th Congressional District, incumbent Young Kim is in a tight race against fellow Republican Kevin Calvert. As of 9:30 p.m. Pacific Time, with 35% of the votes counted, Calvert led with 54% to Kim's 46%, showing an approximately 8-point difference.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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