As the midterm elections approach, major California politicians are rapidly expanding their contact points with the Korean American community.
Unlike in past election seasons where visits were often limited to one-off appearances, recent months have seen candidates frequently visiting Koreatown and actively communicating with Korean American voters.
Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton kicked off his outreach with an exclusive interview with this publication in April, followed by a town hall meeting for voters in Koreatown last June. Last month, he announced a pledge to restrict illegal street vendors near Koreatown, and on the 2nd, he visited the Lord’s Grace Church to directly appeal for support from the community.
LA Mayor Karen Bass, who is running for re-election, has also noticeably increased her on-the-ground activities in Koreatown. Bass visited the Wilshire Senior Center on the 6th to meet with about 200 Korean seniors, expressing a sense of affinity by mentioning that her daughter-in-law is of Korean descent.
Bass is evaluated inside and outside City Hall as having the highest frequency of visits to Koreatown among all past LA mayors and being the most proactive in communicating with the Korean community. Her 2024 appointment of former Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC) External Affairs Director Steve Kang as an LA City Public Works Commissioner is also cited as a prime example of expanding Korean community participation in municipal government.
State Insurance Commissioner candidate Jane Kim has similarly broadened her engagement by attending major Korean community events, including a press conference held by the Korean American Federation of LA last month. Kim shared in a past interview with this publication that she visits LA every weekend and consistently stops by Koreatown during those trips.
Sara Hernandez, a candidate for the California State Senate District 26 seat which encompasses Koreatown, is also continuously carrying out schedule items within the Korean community.
Hernandez emphasized to this publication that when meeting Korean American voters, she often found that many did not even know who their state senator was. She pledged to maintain steady meetings with Koreans throughout the campaign and frequently visit Koreatown after being elected to ensure voters clearly recognize the presence of their senator.
In contrast, candidates such as Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, LA mayoral candidate Nithya Raman, State Insurance Commissioner candidate Ben Allen, and State Senate District 26 candidate Sarah Lascón remain virtually out of touch with Korean American voters.
Since securing his spot in the general election, Becerra has not directly attended any Korean community events or met with Korean American voters. Aside from meeting with the Korean American Democratic Committee (KADC), which endorsed her, Raman has also shown little proactive outreach toward Korean voters.
Commenting on the contrasting approaches of certain candidates on the 9th, LA Korean American Federation President Robert Ahn pointed out that it means the Korean community is not a priority for them, resulting in missed opportunities to discuss potential solidarity with the community in advance.
