By Staff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Rep. Grace Meng
Democratic Rep. Grace Meng along with ASPIRE PAC, the political arm of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) members of Congress, sent a letter to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Aug. 20, calling for the DNC to ensure that at least one of its sponsored presidential debates features an AAPI moderator.
DNC Chairman Tom Perez (Photo by Assunta Ng)
The Congress members wrote to DNC Chairman Tom Perez, saying that AAPI voters will play a critical role in the 2020 election, numbering 11 million registered voters, or 5 percent of the electorate. There are currently three AAPIs seeking the Democractic presidential nomination —entrepreneur Andrew Yang, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii.
“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing population in our country and the DNC has rightly recognized this fact by increasing the number of AAPIs in senior level positions, and expanding AAPI outreach efforts,” Meng said. “It is now time for the DNC to take their commitment even further by ensuring that Asian Americans are represented among moderators on the debate stage.”
AAPI voters’ participation in the 2018 midterm elections increased more than any other racial group, according to the letter.
As of Aug. 26, exactly 10 presidential contenders have qualified to participate, and if that number stands, all 10 will be on stage at the same time and the third Democratic presidential debate will be confined to a single night, on Sept. 12. Yang and Harris have qualified, while Gabbard has not.
Staff can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.