FULLERTON - The first Asian American women ever elected to statewide constitutional office in the United States, longtime California Secretary of State March Fong Eu, today endorsed Sukhee Kang for state Senate in District 29, which includes part of eastern LA County. Eu now lives in Fullerton, along with Sukhee Kang and his wife, and is a registered voter in the 29 th District.

" Sukhee Kang made history when he was elected as the first Korean American mayor of a major American city, " Eu said, " and he will make history again when he becomes only the second Korean American ever elected t o serve in the state Senate -- and the first in 50 years. Sukhee's work ethic, intelligence, dedication and commitment to principle will make him an outstanding addition to the state Senate. I will strive to make her proud as her state senator. "  

Eu, who is Chinese American, was elected secretary of state of California in 1974, becoming the first Asian American woman ever elected to statewide office in the United States. In another first, in 1976 she became the first woman to serve as governor of California, serving as acting governor when Gov. Jerry Brown was out of state. She served as secretary of state for 20 years, being reelected four times, until resigning in 1994 to accept an appointment by President Bill Clinton as U.S. ambassador to Micronesia. E u was previously elected to the state Assembly in 1966 , and served until 1974. Eu's son, Matt Fong, also served as treasurer of California from 1995-1999.  

" I am delighted and humbled to have won the support and endorsement of such an Asian American icon and trailblazer as Ambassador March Fong Eu," Kang said. " She truly led the way nationally, as well as in California, in providing the example for Asian Americans to run for and serve in public office. I have long admired Ambassador Eu, and am particularly pleased that she can vote for me in District 29."  

Kang was a two-term city councilmember in Irvine, as well as a two-term mayor of the city, reelected overwhelmingly in 2010 with more than 64 percent of the vote. He and his wife Joanne, also a South Korean native who immigrated to the U.S. with him in 1977, have been residents of Orange County for 38 years and now live in Fullerton.  

Kang announced his candidacy for the open 29 th Senate District on April 22, the first Democrat to do so, and has since picked up dozens of endorsements from state and local officials and community leaders throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties.  The district is currently represented by Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff, who cannot run again due to term limits.

Kang has been recognized numerous times for his outstanding public service and community leadership, including receiving the American Diabetes Association's "Orange County Father of the Year Award" in 2012, the Carnegie Corporation's "Pride of America" award in 2010, and the International Leadership Foundation's "Public Servant of the Year" award in 2010.  The Irvine Chamber of Commerce also recognized Kang in 2010 as "Business Leader of the Year."

A veteran, Kang served in the South Korean Army, then graduated from the prestigious Korea University with a degree in agricultural economics, and in 2011 was awarded an honorary doctorate from Dongseo University in Busan, Korea.  He also has served a special advisor to the chancellor of UC Irvine, and as an adjunct professor and Chancellor Fellow at Chapman University.

The Kang children, Alan, 3 5 , and Angie, 3 3 , attended public schools in Anaheim, where the Kang family lived for 10 years. Alan, a graduate of UC San Diego and USC's Marshall School of Business, is a manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers . Angie, a graduate of UCLA and Berkeley Law School (Boalt Hall), is vice president of business and legal affairs at Hulu.