TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Three Taiwanese Americans have won their re-election bids in the state of New York.
Grace Meng (孟昭文), Yuh-Line Niou (牛毓琳), and John Liu (劉醇逸), all Democrats, were able to repeat victories they had achieved in the 2018 mid-term elections.
John Liu on Wednesday (Nov. 4) won 51,847 votes or 57.6 percent to Republican candidate Elisa Nahoum's 38,053 votes or 42.3 percent, according to Ballotpedia. Liu declared victory on Twitter and thanked voters for "the opportunity to serve."
Liu's victory in 2018 made him the first Taiwan-born New York State senator. In 2001, Liu made history for becoming the first Asian-American to be elected to the New York City Council, where he served from 2002 to 2010 while representing the northeast Queens area.
It has been a privilege to serve as State Senator and it is a tremendous honor to be returned by the voters for a 2nd term of office. I am grateful to the voters for the opportunity to serve and will continue to work day and night in the interests of the people and the community.
— John C. Liu (@LiuNewYork) November 4, 2020
Grace Meng also defeated her challenger, Republican candidate Thomas Zmich. Meng garnered 106,131 votes or 62.6 percent To Zmich's 63,324 or 37.4 percent, according to Ballotpedia.
This marks Meng's fifth term in Congress. In 2012, she won her race against New York City Council Member Dan Halloran, becoming the first Asian-American from New York elected to Congress.
On Wednesday afternoon, Meng tweeted to thank her supporters for selecting her for another term in Washington. She pledged to combat the coronavirus and get "our economy back on track."
Her father Jimmy Meng (孟廣瑞) is also a politician, having served as a New York state assemblyman representing the 22nd Assembly District.
Thank you to the voters for once again selecting me to be their voice in Washington! I remain committed to combating COVID-19 & getting our economy back on track, & will continue working to pave the way for a better future for Queens working families and all families every day.
— Grace Meng (@Grace4NY) November 4, 2020
Yuh-Line Niou (牛毓琳), who was born in Taipei, retained her seat in New York State Assembly District 65 by taking 57 percent of the vote. She had defeated Korean-American Democratic rival Grace Lee in the primary with 64 percent of the vote.
On Wednesday morning, she posted a tweet in which she stated that it is an honor to serve her constituents in Lower Manhattan and that she was "grateful and humbled" that they had given her another term. She made history in 2016 when she became the first Asian-American to be voted to the State Assembly in that district, which is now over 40 percent Asian-American.
It’s an incredible honor to wake up every day and serve my constituents in Lower Manhattan. I am so grateful and humbled that you have given me another term to serve you in our state legislature. 1/2
— Yuh-Line Niou (@yuhline) November 4, 2020
