FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION May 12, 2015 Garry South (310) 600-9001
INSURANCE COMMISSIONER DAVE JONES ENDORSES KANG
FOR STATE SENATE
Calls Sukhee Kang an Immigrant's "American success story"
SACRAMENTO -- State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones today endorsed Sukhee Kang in the open 29th Senate District, located at the confluence of Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
"Sukhee Kang, who like so many came to the United States as an immigrant, is an American success story," Jones said. "He is smart, disciplined, dedicated to public service, and has a proven track record both as a candidate and an elected official. He will be an excellent state senator."
"Sukhee will bring an important perspective to the state Senate, having been mayor of a large city, and also a successful small business owner," Commissioner Jones continued. "I look forward to working with him as a partner in ensuring that small businesses can continue to be successful in California."
"I am delighted to receive the endorsement and support of Commissioner Jones," Kang said. "Both as a member of the Assembly and as insurance commissioner, he has shown a passionate commitment to protecting people from being taken advantage of by powerful special interests."
"I am excited about working with the commissioner to ensure that small businesses are treated fairly under the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and to make changes if necessary toward that end," he concluded.
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 29th 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, including Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de León. 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. In 2009, Kang was recognized as one of the O.C. Metro's "Hot 25 Platinum Civic Leaders."
Kang graduated from 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, 34, and Angie, 32, attended public schools in Anaheim, where the Kang family lived for 10 years. Alan, a graduate of USC's Marshall School of Business, is a manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Angie, a graduate of Berkeley Law School (Boalt Hall), is senior counsel at Hulu.
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