| Judy May Chu 趙美心 |
|
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 32nd district |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office July 14, 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Hilda Solis |
| Member of the California State Board of Equalization from the 4th District | |
| In office 2007–2009 |
|
| Preceded by | John Chiang |
| Succeeded by | Jerome Horton |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 49th district |
|
| In office 2001–2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Gloria J. Romero |
| Succeeded by | Mike Eng |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 7, 1953 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Mike Eng |
| Residence | Monterey Park, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles (B.A.) California School of Professional Psychology (PhD) |
| Profession | Politician Professor |
Judy May Chu, Ph.D. (Chinese name: 趙美心; Cantonese Yale: Jiu6 Mei5 sam1 pinyin: Zhào Měixīn) (born July 7, 1953)[1] is the U.S. Representative for California's 32nd congressional district, serving since 2009. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Chu was previously Chair of the California Board of Equalization, representing the 4th District.[2] She had also served on the Garvey Unified School District Board of Education, the Monterey Park City Council (with terms as mayor) and the California State Assembly.
Chu ran in the 32nd congressional district special election for the seat that was vacated by Hilda Solis after she was confirmed as Barack Obama's U.S. Secretary of Labor in 2009.[3] She defeated Republican candidate Betty Tom Chu and Libertarian candidate Christopher Agrella in a runoff election on July 14, 2009.[4] She is the first Chinese American woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress.[5] Chu was reelected in the 2010 United States midterm elections, defeating Republican challenger Edward "Ed" Schmerling.
Contents |
Judy Chu is the second of four children of Judson and May Chu, who were married in 1948 in their ancestral home of Xinhui, Jiangmen, Guangdong. After getting married they moved to Los Angeles, near 62nd Street and Normandie Avenue, where Chu was born and grew up until her early teen years, when the family moved to the Bay Area.[6][7]
Chu graduated with a B.A. in mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She then earned a Ph.D. in psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology.
She taught as a psychology professor at the Los Angeles Community College District for 20 years, including 13 years at East Los Angeles College.[2][8]
Chu's first elected position was Board Member for the Garvey School District in Rosemead, California in 1985. In 1988 she was elected to the city council of Monterey Park, where she served as mayor for three terms.[2][8] She ran for the California State Assembly in 1994, but lost the Democratic primary to Diane Martinez; in 1998, she lost the primary to Gloria Romero.
Chu was elected to the State Assembly in a May 15, 2001, special election after Romero was elected to the State Senate. She was elected to a full term in 2002 and was reelected in 2004. The district includes Alhambra, El Monte, Duarte, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino and South El Monte, within Los Angeles County.[9]
Barred by term limits from running for a third full term in 2006, Chu was elected to the State Board of Equalization from the 4th District, representing most of Los Angeles County.
Chu entered the special election for the 32nd District after Congresswoman Hilda Solis was appointed as Labor Secretary. She led the field in the May 19 special election. However, due to the crowded nature of the primary (eight Democrats and four Republicans filed) she only garnered 31.9 percent of the vote — well short of the 50% + 1 vote needed to win outright. She easily defeated Republican Betty Tom Chu (her cousin-in-law and a Monterey Park city councilwoman) and Libertarian businessman Christopher Agrella in the July 14 runoff.[4] She had been heavily favored due to the district's heavy Democratic tilt; with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+15, it is one of the safest Democratic districts in the nation.
Chu was sworn in to office on July 16, 2009.
Judy Chu’s number one priority as a new member of Congress is to work along side the Obama administration.[10] She wants to quickly bring in money to help the economy, protect public services from dramatic cuts, and bring funding into communities to help with the economy.[10] Chu believes that by making sure schools are strong, society is helping prepare students to live in the real world later on.[10]
Judy Chu is focused on bringing “green collar” jobs to the San Gabriel Valley.[10] This includes jobs in public transit, alternative energy, and conservation. She believes that the San Gabriel Valley should be the nation’s solar capital with its climate, work force, and research facilities.[10]
Chu cosponsored the Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act of 2010 which authorizes the President of the United States to support measures providing abortions and other reproduction assistance to women in developing countries. In 2010, Chu voting against measures proposed by the U.S. House of Representatives to strip government funding to Planned Parenthood, and opposed restricting federal funding of abortions.[11][12] Chu has received ratings of 100 from all Pro-Choice affiliates including Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.[13] She has also received ratings of 100 from the NARAL pro-choice California in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 [13] while receiving very low ratings given by Pro-Life organizations in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.[13]
In 2010, Chu voted to increase the debt ceiling to $14.294 trillion. In 2009, Chu voted to increase the debt ceiling to $12.394 trillion. In January 2011, she voted against a bill to reduce spending on non-security items to fiscal year 2008 levels. In 2011, Chu voted against the Budget Control Act of 2011, which incrementally raised the debt ceiling.[14]
Chu opposed the "See Something, Say Something Act of 2011," which provides "immunity for reports of suspected terrorist activity or suspicious behavior and response." She said, "if a person contacts law enforcement about something based solely on someone's race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin, they would not receive immunity from civil lawsuits."[15][16]
Chu married Mike Eng in 1978. (Eng took Chu's seat on the Monterey Park City Council in 2001, when Chu left the council after getting elected to the Assembly, and in 2006 he took Chu's seat on the Assembly, when Chu left the Assembly.)
Chu's nephew, Lance Corporal Harry Lew, a US Marine, committed suicide while serving in Afghanistan on April 3, 2011, allegedly as a result of hazing from fellow Marines after Lew repeatedly fell asleep during his watch. Chu described her nephew as a patriotic American and said that those responsible must be brought to justice.[17]
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hilda Solis |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 32nd district 2009–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Michael Quigley D-Illinois |
United States Representatives by seniority 332nd |
Succeeded by John Garamendi D-California |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Matthew G. Martinez |
Monterey Park City Council 1988–2001 |
Succeeded by Mike Eng |
| Preceded by John Chiang |
California State Board of Equalization Member 4th District 2007–2009 |
Succeeded by Jerome Horton |
| California Assembly | ||
| Preceded by Gloria J. Romero |
California State Assemblymember 49th District 2001–2006 |
Succeeded by Mike Eng |