In recent years, the Asian population on Long Island has been growing rapidly, but Nassau and Suffolk counties have yet to see a county-level Asian-American legislator. On August 7th, Congresswoman Grace Meng held a media roundtable to support Democratic Korean-American candidate Juleigh Chin in her campaign for the position of county legislator in District 9 of Nassau County, Long Island. The goal is to rewrite the history of Long Island having never had a county-level Asian-American legislator.
At the same time, Grace Meng is also supporting Chinese-American Jason Lew in his campaign for Town Clerk of North Hempstead.
The District 9 of Nassau County is a newly redrawn district after the 2022-2023 redistricting. The current county legislator is Republican Scott P. Strauss. Juleigh Chin, the Democratic candidate running for this position, is a Korean-American who has been active in community service and education for many years. She currently serves as the Chair of the Herricks School District Education Committee on Long Island, having been re-elected four times. She has also worked as a project manager in government and at the North Shore University Hospital. In the 2024 special election for the 3rd Congressional District, she served as the Asian-American outreach director for Democrat Tom Suozzi, contributing significantly to his victory.
Juleigh Chin emphasizes the importance of Asian-American voters on Long Island, citing the success of Tom Suozzi’s campaign. She stated, “While the average voter turnout for Asian-Americans in the U.S. is only 5%, in our efforts, 12% of Asian-American voters in Tom Suozzi’s district turned out, totaling 13,000 votes— and he won by this margin, proving that Asian-American votes can make a difference.” According to 2020 census data, Asians make up at least 25% of the total population in the area, closely approaching 35%, and in the new District 9, the Asian population has increased to 34%.
Juleigh Chin’s platform focuses on “value for taxpayers” and “strengthening community services,” with specific measures including ensuring that park facilities are properly maintained, streets and lighting are in good condition, expanding community resource programs for the elderly, veterans, and students, providing Asian language services for non-English speaking residents to access government assistance, and advocating for effective governance to address issues and provide solutions.
She believes that high property taxes on Long Island are a major concern for residents who want to see tangible benefits from their tax payments. Every dollar of tax money should be put to good use, and public resources should not be wasted or left idle.
Grace Meng points out that there are already several Asian-American representatives in Queens, making it easier for Asian-American residents to seek assistance. With the rapid increase in the Asian population on Long Island in recent years, many families have moved to Long Island for better education opportunities for their children. However, there is currently only one town-level Asian-American legislator, Christine Liu, in North Hempstead. The number of Asian-American representatives does not align with the population ratio, indicating the need for more Asian-Americans to get involved in politics.
In addition, Chinese-American Jason Lew, who has worked on Wall Street for 15 years, is running for Town Clerk of North Hempstead. He is currently a small business owner and serves as the president of the Greater Roslyn Association for Chinese Enrichment (GRACE).
Lew highlights that North Hempstead has approximately 235,000 residents, with around 34% of them being Asian, with the majority being Chinese. He emphasizes the need for Chinese representation and urges voters to support him in the November elections. If elected, he will be the first Chinese-American to serve as Town Clerk on Long Island, potentially creating a significant milestone.
The District 9 of Nassau County includes East Williston, Floral Park, Garden City Park, Herricks, Manhasset Hills, Mineola, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North New Hyde Park, Searingtown, and Williston Park.