Jimmy Meng's defeat of Assemblyman Barry Grodenchik in the Democratic primary last month
assures him to be elected as the first Chinese American to the New York Legislature. In
November 2 general election, he will face Republican Meilin Tan, Greens No To War Party
candidate Evergreen Chou, and Grodenchik, who is on the ballot as the nominee of the Working
Families Party in Queens District 22.
John Liu, New York Assemblyman, who supported Grodenclik, a White and Jew, in the primary
contest said he will work with Meng if Meng is elected to the Legislature. Meng, too, pledged
cooperation, saying he will work with Liu "100 percent to make this a better community for
everyone if I am elected."
Meng's victory is viewed that Asian community has enough political clout.
In the past nine months, 67,159 new voters have registered in Queens, according to statistics from
the Board of Elections. Asians and Latinos are believed to be the city's fastest growing groups of
voters. It is estimated that about 800,000 city residents of Asian ethnicity, with 300,000 of those
registered to vote. In the 2002 Democratic primary, Grodenchik edged Meng by 126 votes with
a total vote of 4,531 in a race that included retired librarian Ethel Chen and attorney John Albert.
In this year's primary, nearly 1,000 more voters participated than in the 2002 primary. The
primary's certified results showed Meng with 2,877 votes, or 51 percent, and Grodenchik with
2,311, or 41 percent. A third candidate, Benjamin Singer, received 425 votes, or 8 percent.
(Source: Curtis L. Taylor, Newsday, Oct.18, 2004).