Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis was nominated by President Barack Obama for Labor of Secretary earlier this year, although her nomination looked to be in trouble due to tax issues. Now on her way out of Senate committee confirmation this week, it makes way for Dr. Judy Chu, Chair of the California Board of Equalization to continue her run for Solis’ open Congressional seat in a special election sometime to be called this spring, most likely in April. The 32nd Congressional District, which covers East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley, is approximately 48% Latino and 13% Asian.
Chu’s biography is impressive. I remember first hearing about Monterey Park when I lived on the East Coast as “Little Taipei” due to its high density of Taiwanese American residents and businesses. Chu’s main challenger looks to be Latino State Sen. Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles), so if this seat is solely based on race & ethnicity, it looks like an uphill battle for Chu. Fortunately for Chu, she has the support of the labor unions, with endorsements from the both Service Employees International Union, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and the AFL-CIO. And having not resigned her Congressional seat yet, Congresswoman Solis is close friends with Chu, so if Solis is confirmed and then endorses Chu, I’d say that the race is already over.
