In the Republican primary of the 25th District of the New York State Assembly, Korean-American Republican candidate Kenneth Paek defeated his opponent Kenneth Chiu on June 25, announcing his victory.
According to the voting results released by the New York City Board of Elections, Kenneth Paek received 686 votes, with a 69.57% vote share, while Kenneth Chiu received 297 votes, with a 30.12% vote share. Kenneth Paek outpaced his opponent by 389 votes, exceeding by 40 percentage points.
At a Korean restaurant on Northern Boulevard, Kenneth Paek, along with supporters including former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, observed the voting results. Cheered on by his supporters upon the announcement of his victory, Kenneth Paek expressed his gratitude towards them, stating his intention to aim for a victory in the general election. He said, “Thank you for your hard work and time, thank you for your strong support and valuable advice. This is only half the journey of winning. We still need to continue until November 5th. I need each and every one of you to help me, let’s make New York safer, let’s bring common sense back to New York!”
Founder of Guardian Angels and former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa mentioned that Kenneth Paek has proven himself to be a candidate for law and order. He emphasized, “We need to get Kenneth into the State Assembly. It is our duty as good citizens, especially for you Korean and Chinese communities, this is your time.”
The Republican primary for the 25th District State Assembly is the only Republican primary for the state assembly. Kenneth Paek retired from the New York City Police Department in 2023, where he served as a sergeant in precinct 109 for 17 years. Prior to that, he spent 4 years in the Navy stationed in Japan.
Kenneth Paek stated that originally he planned to work for another 30 years in the New York City Police Department, retiring at the age of 62. However, the current social chaos, deteriorating public safety, and prevalent theft made him feel “unable to continue,” leading to his decision to run for state assembly to bring about change.
In the upcoming general election in November, Kenneth Paek will face the incumbent State Assemblywoman Nily Rozi from the 25th District. Nily Rozi was born in Jerusalem and raised in the United States. She has been serving as the district’s State Assemblywoman since 2013.