Korean-American Young Kim defeat (64, Republican, California’s 40th District) became official as she failed in her 4th-term congressional bid. In the midterm elections held on the 3rd, Rep. Kim faced off against fellow 17-term veteran Rep. Ken Calvert due to redistricting, and ultimately conceded the race on the 10th. With about 71% of the votes counted, Rep. Kim secured 46.38% while Rep. Calvert garnered 53.62%.
In a statement, Rep. Kim expressed, “As an immigrant who came to the US chasing the American dream, being able to serve this country in the federal legislature has been one of the greatest honors of my life.” She added, “It is regrettable that California Governor Gavin Newsom’s political redistricting forced two Republican incumbent lawmakers to compete against each other,” while extending her congratulations to Rep. Calvert on his victory.
With the defeat of Rep. Kim, who championed strengthening US-Korea relations by introducing the Partner With Korea Act (PWKA) to issue specialized visas for South Korean professionals, the legacy of Korean-American Republican federal lawmakers has also come to an end.
The history of Korean-American politicians entering the US Congress dates back to former US Representative Jay Kim, who took office in 1993. As a Republican and former mayor of Diamond Bar, California, he was the first Korean-American in federal office, serving three terms from 1993 to 1999. After a nearly 20-year hiatus without any Korean-American federal lawmakers, Andy Kim of the Democratic Party was elected to the US House of Representatives representing New Jersey in 2018. Rep. Andy Kim subsequently became the first Korean-American US Senator in 2024.
The 2020 election ushered in an era of four Korean-American US House members as Young Kim, Michelle Steel (Republican, California), and Marilyn Strickland (Democrat, Washington) were simultaneously elected. Former Rep. Steel failed in her reelection bid in 2024 and was subsequently appointed as the US Ambassador to South Korea. In 2024, Democratic candidate Dave Min was elected to the US House representing California and successfully secured reelection in the recent midterms.
Additionally, Democratic candidate Don Koh (Korean name Go Won-young) of Massachusetts’ 6th district won his election, becoming the 7th Korean-American federal lawmaker in history. Rep.-elect Koh is a Harvard professor, the son of Dr. Howard Koh (former Assistant Secretary for Health in the Obama administration), the grandson of former Korean Consul General in Washington Koh Kwang-rim and Dr. Pyun Hye-sung, and the nephew of Harold Hongju Koh, former Dean of Yale Law School and Legal Adviser of the Department of State.
When the new Congress convenes next January, all four Korean-American lawmakers in federal office—Senator Andy Kim, along with Representatives Strickland, Min, and Koh—will be members of the Democratic Party. Following Rep. Young Kim’s loss, no Republican Korean-American lawmakers will remain in Congress.
