I recently came across this candidate for public office, Will Sylianteng, running for a seat as a Pennsylvania State Representative (he reminded me a little bit about Connecticut State Representative William Tong, who is currently running for U.S. Senate):
He practices law in Blue Bell, PA. Will is admitted to practice law in the State and Federal Courts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. He is also admitted to the Federal Courts of the District of Columbia.
Will is active in the local county bar association and has chaired the Montgomery County Bar Association’s Diversity Committee and has vice-chaired its Civil Practice Committee. Through the bar association, Will volunteers to teach a class on “Civics and the Law” to 6th graders in the Norristown Area School District. Will also is a delegate to the House of Delegates of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
If elected, Sylianteng will be the first ever Asian American to be elected into the state Pennsylvania state legislature, much like Tong was in Connecticut. Sylianteng’s district (District 151), is in Montgomery County, which is approximately 6.4% Asian American (the state itself is only 2.7% Asian). The district is currently represented by incumbent Todd Stephens, Republican. Unseating an incumbent is always a challenge, though the district leans slightly Democratic (45% registered voters are Democratic to 40% registered Republican). We’ll see if Sylianteng can make history this fall!
