AAI Congratulates Tammy Duckworth on Her Historic Victory
Illinois Elects Its First Asian American Congressperson
The Asian American Institute (AAI), member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, congratulates Tammy Duckworth on her win in the 8th congressional district. Duckworth is the first Asian American congressperson elected from Illinois, and is one of 21 Asian American congressional candidates on the ballot this year.
The 8th congressional district’s Asian American population has doubled in percentage since the last round of redistricting in 2001 to over 12%, making it the second largest Asian American district in the state, and a cornerstone of the growing Asian American presence in suburban Chicago. This year AAI initiated a Get out the Vote campaign in the 8th in an effort to increase Asian American voter turnout, and dispatched poll monitors on election day to check precincts covered by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act.
“We are excited about Tammy Duckworth’s historic win, and look forward to seeing her work in Congress representing the 8th district, which closely reflects the changing demographics of Illinois,” said AAI executive director Tuyet Le. One of the issues the 113th Congress will likely face is immigration reform, which has a significant impact on Asian Americans in Illinois. AAI and its partners will be looking for its legislators to take leadership on this issue. The 8th district also encompasses one of AAI’s Pan Asian Voter Empowerment (PAVE) campaign partners Lao American Organization of Elgin.
Duckworth will begin her term in January.