By Staff
Northwest Asian Weekly
Samuel Park
Samuel Park made history last month when he was elected as the first openly gay man to the Georgia legislature. The Georgia native defeated three-term incumbent Rep. Valerie Clark.
The 31-year-old son of Korean immigrants grew up with two siblings. His single mother supported their family. “She taught piano lessons and tutored children after school to put food on the table, and stressed the importance of education,” Park wrote on his website.
His campaign focused on economic growth and security, healthcare, and civil rights. Park’s mother’s cancer diagnosis in 2014 prompted his decision to run for office. “As I take my mom to her chemo appointment every two weeks, I am constantly reminded of the importance of health insurance. Access to healthcare is a matter of life or death,” Park wrote on his website.
Park’s run for office prompted his mother to vote for the first time in 30 years, he wrote on his Facebook page.