Judy Chu | |||||||||||||||||||
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趙美心 | |||||||||||||||||||
 Official portrait, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia | |||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office July 14, 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Hilda Solis | ||||||||||||||||||
| Constituency | 32nd district (2009–2013) 27th district (2013–2023) 28th district (2023–present) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Member of theCalifornia State Board of Equalization from the 4th district | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 3, 2007 – July 14, 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | John Chiang | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jerome Horton | ||||||||||||||||||
| Member of theCalifornia State Assembly from the49th district | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office May 21, 2001 – November 30, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Gloria Romero | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Mike Eng | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Judy May Chu (1953-07-07)July 7, 1953 (age 72) Los Angeles,California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Democratic | ||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||
| Education | |||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | House website Campaign website | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 趙美心 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 赵美心[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | Zhào Měixīn | ||||||||||||||||||
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Judy May Chu (born July 7, 1953) is an American politician serving as theU.S. representative forCalifornia's 28th congressional district. A member of theDemocratic Party, she has held a seat in Congress since 2009, representingCalifornia's 32nd congressional district until redistricting. Chu is the firstChinese American woman elected to Congress.[2][1]
Chu was elected to theCalifornia Board of Equalization in 2007, representing the 4th district.[3] She previously served on theGarvey Unified School DistrictBoard of Education, on theMonterey ParkCity Council (with three terms as mayor) and in theCalifornia State Assembly. Chu ran in the32nd congressional district special election for the seat vacated byHilda Solis after Solis was confirmed as President Obama'ssecretary of labor in 2009.[4] She defeatedRepublican candidateBetty Tom Chu andLibertarian candidate Christopher Agrella in a runoff election on July 14, 2009.[5] Chu was redistricted to the 27th district in 2012, but still reelected to a third term, defeating Republican challenger Jack Orswell.
Chu was born inLos Angeles as the second of four children to May (1928–2013) and Judson Chu (1923–2015). Judson was born inChico, California, to Chinese parents fromJiangmen,Guangdong and served during World War II in the10th Army Corps in Okinawa. He brought over his wife May from his ancestral home inXinhui County as awar bride.[6][7][8]
Chu grew up inSouth Los Angeles, near 62nd Street andNormandie Avenue, until her early teen years, when the family moved to theBay Area.[6][9] She graduatedBuchser High School inSanta Clara, California in 1970.[10]
In 1974, Chu earned aB.A. degree in mathematics from theUniversity of California, Los Angeles. In 1979, she earned aPh.D. degree in psychology from theCalifornia School of Professional Psychology ofAlliant International University'sLos Angeles campus.[6][3]
Chu taught psychology in theLos Angeles Community College District for 20 years, including 13 years atEast Los Angeles College.[3][11]
Chu's first elected position was as a member of theGarvey School Board inRosemead, California in 1985.[citation needed]
In 1988, Chu was elected to theMonterey Park City Council. In 1989, she became Mayor of Monterey Park and served until 1994. Chu was mayor for three terms.[12][6][3][11]
Chu ran for theCalifornia State Assembly in 1994, but lost the Democratic primary toDiane Martinez; in 1998, she lost the primary toGloria Romero.[citation needed]
Chu was elected to the State Assembly on May 15, 2001, following a special election after Romero was elected to theState Senate. She was elected to a full term in 2002 and reelected in 2004. The district includesAlhambra,El Monte,Duarte,Monterey Park,Rosemead,San Gabriel,San Marino, andSouth El Monte, withinLos Angeles County.[13]
Barred by term limits from running for a third term in 2006, Chu was elected to theState Board of Equalization from the 4th district, representing most of Los Angeles County.[citation needed]
Chu decided to run for the 2009 special election for theCalifornia's 32nd congressional district after U.S. RepresentativeHilda Solis was appointed to become PresidentBarack Obama'sUnited States Secretary of Labor. Chu led the field in the May 19 special election, but due to the crowded field (eight Democrats and four Republicans) she only got 32% of the vote, well short of the 50% needed to win outright.[14] In the runoff election, she defeatedRepublican Betty Chu (her cousin-in-law and a Monterey Park City Councilwoman) 62%–33%.[5][15]
Chu was heavily favored due to the district's heavy Democrat tilt. With aCook Partisan Voting Index of D+15, it is one of the safest Democratic districts in the nation. She was reelected to her first full term with 71% of the vote.[16]
In August 2011, Chu decided to run in the newly redrawnCalifornia's 27th congressional district.[17] The district has the second highest percentage ofAsian Americans in the state with 37%, behind the newly redrawn17th CD which is 50% Asian.[18] Registered Democrats make up 42% of the district. Obama won the district with 63% in the 2008 presidential election.Jerry Brown won with 55% in the 2010 gubernatorial election.[19][20] Chu was reelected, defeating Republican Jack Orswell 64% to 36%.[21]
Chu was reelected over Orswell, 59.4% to 40.6%.
Chu was reelected over Orswell, 67.4% to 32.6%.
Chu won reelection over fellow Democrat Bryan Witt by a 79.2% to 20.8% margin,[22] in one of a handful of districts in California that featured only Democrats on its midterm ballot.[23]
Chu won reelection to her seventh term over Republican Johnny J. Nalbandian by a 69.8% to 30.2% margin. Nalbandian never conceded the race, citing unproven voter fraud.[citation needed]
In 2009, Chu voted to increase the debt ceiling to $12.394 trillion. In 2010, she voted to increase the debt ceiling to $14.294 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.[24]
In 2010, she voted against measures proposed by the House to strip government funding toPlanned Parenthood, and opposed restricting federal funding of abortions.[25]
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."[26][27]
In June 2011, the House Ethics Committee began an investigation after receiving information suggesting that two of Chu's top aides had directed staffers to do campaign tasks during regular work hours. The investigation found that Chu had sent two emails to her staff on how to respond to aspects of the Ethics Committee's inquiry. The Committee found no evidence that Chu was aware of her staff's actions, it did find that the emails represented actions that interfered with the committee's investigation of the matter, and on December 11, 2014, it formally reprimanded Chu for interfering with its investigation of her office.[28][29]
In 2012, a Chinese spy, Christine "Fang Fang" Fang, volunteered for Chu's campaign and is suspected to have used political connections to spy for theChinese Communist Party. Chu was one of several Democratic politicians who were targeted.[30] She has received campaign contributions from thePeople's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK).[31] Chu later voted against a resolution "denouncing the horrors of socialism," and published an op-ed in theWhittier Daily News explaining it.[32]
On December 6, 2017, Chu was arrested during a protest outside of theU.S. Capitol.[33] In 2019, Chu was named "honorary chairwoman" of the Forums for Peaceful Reunification of China, an organization advocating forChinese unification.[34]
Chu accusedTurkey, aNATO member, of inciting the conflict betweenArmenia andAzerbaijan over thedisputed region ofNagorno-Karabakh.[35] On October 1, 2020, she co-signed a letter to Secretary of StateMike Pompeo that condemned Azerbaijan's offensive operations against theArmenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, denounced Turkey's role in theNagorno-Karabakh conflict and called for an immediate ceasefire.[36]
As of October 2022, Chu had voted in line withJoe Biden's stated position 100% of the time.[37]
For the118th Congress:[38]
During the117th Congress, Chu voted with PresidentJoe Biden's stated position 99.1% of the time according to aFiveThirtyEight analysis.[47]
Chu claims thatabortion access is "not justhealth care – it is a fundamental human right." She opposed theoverturning ofRoe v. Wade.[48]
Chu was among 46 Democrats who voted against final passage of theFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[49]
Chu voted to provideIsrael with support following theOctober 7 attacks.[50][51] However, as of April 20, 2024, she voted against sending aid via H.R. 8034 to Israel, stating "Israel has demonstrated that it can prosecute its war againstHamas without this offensive military assistance from the United States, and the way in which it has done so has resulted in more than 33,000 deaths inGaza and a worsening humanitarian crisis."[52]
Chu marriedMike Eng in 1978. They live in Monterey Park.[53] Eng took Chu's seat on the Monterey Park City Council in 2001, when Chu left the council after being elected to theAssembly, and in 2006, he took Chu's seat on the Assembly when Chu left the Assembly.[citation needed]
Chu's nephew,Lance Corporal Harry Lew, aU.S. marine, died by suicide while serving inAfghanistan on April 3, 2011, allegedly as a result ofhazing from fellow Marines after Lew allegedly repeatedly fell asleep during his watch. Chu described her nephew as a patriotic American and said that those responsible must be brought to justice.[54]
In December 2019, Chu and her brother Dean Chu donated $375,000 to theChinese American Museum inLos Angeles, California.[9]
Chu is one of threeUnitarian Universalists in Congress.[55]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theCalifornia State Board of Equalization from the 4th district 2007–2009 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 32nd congressional district 2009–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theCongressional Asian Pacific American Caucus 2011–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 27th congressional district 2013–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 28th congressional district 2023–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 74th | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
