Kansen Chu took a commanding lead June 5 becoming the first Chinese-American on the San Jose City Council.Of more than 7,500 absentee ballots mailed to the county registrar's office almost two-thirds had been cast for Chu. His opponent, Hon Lien, was far behind in the early tally in spite of her endorsement from Mayor Chuck Reed.
Chu, 54, a Berryessa schools trustee, headed into the run-off with a victory in the March 6 election and gathered steam when Bryan Do, who finished third, endorsed Chu and asked his supporters to do the same. (Source: Janice Rombeck and John Woolfolk, Mercury News, Jun 6, 2007).