Candidate Questionnaires
The KAFO Fund team has developed comprehensive questionnaires for Korean American Democratic candidates to explain their position on important policy issues that effect the American public as a whole, and the Korean American community specifically. These answers help the Executive Team and Board make decisions on endorsements.
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Endorsed candidates are profiled on our website and promoted throughout our network. Endorsed candidates are eligible to receive fundraising support and other assistance.
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Request a questionnaire at kafofund@gmail.com.
2024 CANDIDATES
Dave Min
U.S. House of Representatives - California, 47th District
Dave Min is running for Congress because, as a first-generation, Korean American, I want my kids to grow up in the same California that attracted my parents and so many immigrants like them to come plant roots here—where everyone has a fair shot at the American Dream, where we prioritize our environment and the education and safety of our children, and where we maintain the spirit of openness and innovation that makes America so special.
I learned the importance of hard work, education and economic opportunity from my parents. They came to this country from Korea in 1971 for their graduate studies, and ended up settling down in California to raise my younger brother and me. My mom and dad grew up in the aftermath of the Korean War, and like most Koreans from that era, they had an incredibly positive view of Americans, who came from so far away to give their blood, their sweat, and even their lives to help protect and then rebuild South Korea. Like many Koreans from that era, my dad still has an occasional (OK, frequent) hankering for Spam, which was given out by American GIs to struggling Korean families in the aftermath of the war.
Before returning to the Golden State to work as a business law professor at UC Irvine School of Law, I served as an enforcement attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission, economic and financial policy advisor to Senator Chuck Schumer, and economic policy director at the Center for American Progress.
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I met my wife Jane, who is the most amazing woman I know, while attending Harvard Law School. Jane teaches Family Law and runs the Domestic Violence Clinic also at UCI Law. She is also the founder and director of UC Irvine’s Initiative to End Family Violence, a signature initiative of the university working to find better solutions to the terrible and unfortunately all too common problem of domestic abuse and violence. She’s been a thought leader in her field, and with her partnership, we’ve been able to pass 8 leading bills to protect survivors of domestic violence.
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We are grateful to be raising our three young children in Irvine. We love Orange County’s vibrance, diversity, and neighborliness, and of course the weather is amazing. To Jane and me, this district represents the very best of California – and America.
2020 CANDIDATES
U.S. House of Representatives - New Jersey, 3rd District
Congressman Andy Kim was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 and is running for re-election in 2020. He represents the Third Congressional District of New Jersey, which stretches from the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean encompassing most of Burlington County and parts of Ocean County.
Congressman Kim grew up in South Jersey, the proud son of Korean immigrants. His father and mother raised Andy and his sister in South Jersey because of the top notch public school system and safe communities.
Andy attended public K-12 schools and credits the quality of his education with helping him become a Rhodes Scholar and leading national security expert. Andy is a dedicated public servant, who believes service is a way of life. He worked as a career public servant under both Democrats and Republicans, and served at the Pentagon, State Department, the White House National Security Council, and in Afghanistan as an advisor to Generals Petraeus and Allen.
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Andy Kim
U.S. House of Representatives - New Jersey, 3rd District
Congressman Andy Kim was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 and is running for re-election in 2020. He represents the Third Congressional District of New Jersey, which stretches from the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean encompassing most of Burlington County and parts of Ocean County.
Congressman Kim grew up in South Jersey, the proud son of Korean immigrants. His father and mother raised Andy and his sister in South Jersey because of the top notch public school system and safe communities.
Andy attended public K-12 schools and credits the quality of his education with helping him become a Rhodes Scholar and leading national security expert. Andy is a dedicated public servant, who believes service is a way of life. He worked as a career public servant under both Democrats and Republicans, and served at the Pentagon, State Department, the White House National Security Council, and in Afghanistan as an advisor to Generals Petraeus and Allen.
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Andy Kim
Marilyn Strickland
U.S. House of Representatives - Washington, 10th District
Marilyn Strickland is running to represent the Washington State's 10th District. She was born in Seoul, South Korea. Her father, who fought in World War II and Korea, met her mother while he was stationed there after the war. If elected to Congress, she will be the first African-American to represent Washington State at the federal level, and the first Korean-American woman elected to Congress in its 230-year history.
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Strickland's parents endured discrimination and hardships that she cannot imagine. They wanted me to have opportunities they were denied and taught me to work hard, fight for what’s right, serve the community, and to stand up for the underdog. Those values inspire her today.
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As Mayor of Tacoma, she helped transform a city and economy crippled by a deep recession into a destination for families, workers, artists, tourists and entrepreneurs. We attracted over $1 billion in investment for housing and businesses, and invested over $500 million in infrastructure for roads, bridges, transportation, and the Port, creating over 40,000 new jobs in the Tacoma region.
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In Congress, Marilyn Strickland will bring the experience of rebuilding an economy after an economic recession, and continue to be a strong voice for change to ensure that we can help the most vulnerable members of our community and ensure we have an economy that works for all of us.
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2019 CANDIDATES
Port Commission - Seattle, WA
Sam Cho is running for Port Commissioner in Seattle, Washington. A lifelong Washingtonian and son of South Korean immigrants, he learned the value of labor by helping his family operate their small dry cleaning business. It’s during this time that he learned firsthand the challenges faced by small businesses and working families. (even more so for immigrants). He is an entrepreneur and committed public servant with a proven track record. As the founder of an international export company with experience in both state and federal government, he possess a unique combination of skills and experience to steward economic development at the Port of Seattle for the people of King County. As port commissioner, he intends to emphasize shared prosperity awhile championing critical issues like environmental sustainability and human and labor trafficking.
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Sam Cho
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