14 Fil Ams Win, Former Two-Term Gov Cayetano Loses

by Joseph G. Lariosa

 

CHICAGO (jGLi) – Fourteen Filipino Americans, led by incumbent Alameda, California Vice Mayor Rob Bonta, who becomes the first Filipino American member of the California State Assembly, won in state and county elections across the United States during the presidential elections that saw re-electionist President Barack Obama steamroll Republican rival Mitt Romney last Tuesday.

Attorney Bonta, a graduate of Yale University and had attended Oxford  and Cambridge Universities, collected 50,028 votes against rival Abel Guillen’s 48,470 votes for the 16th District of the California State Assembly with all the 316 precincts accounted for.

Two other Filipino Americans who tried to match Bonta’s effort fell short. Optometrist Jennifer Ong, lost in close contest for the 20th District to Bill Quirk, who polled 46,294 votes against Ong’s 44,016 votes with all the 352 precincts reporting. While Lathrop, California Vice Mayor Christopher Mateo lost big to Kristin Olsen, who tallied 66,978 votes votes against Mateo’s 42,034 votes with all 355 precincts reporting.

The elections also saw the shocking loss of come backing former two-term Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano to former Acting Mayor Kirk Caldwell in the hotly contested Honolulu mayoral race. Cayetano, whose forebears come from Pangasinan in the Philippines, bitterly accused his rival of outspending him 2-1 with an “unprecedented $3-million in negative advertising to defeat him.”

Based on the research by the Journal Group Link International, Cayetano received 134,690 votes against Caldwell’s 157,650 votes with all precincts reporting.

Another big loser was two-term Republican Mayor Owen Diaz of Milan, Michigan who lost to Democrat Adam Zemke in the open 55th District seat in Washtenaw County as member of the Michigan House of Representatives. Diaz, who received a letter of appreciation from President Obama last year for his proposal to save $30 Billion in portable healthcare that will allow Medicare coverage for naturalized Americans retiring in their native countries, polled 13,029 votes against Zemke’s 26,195 votes in a three-man race for a two-year term.

OTHER WINNERS

The other winners are incumbent African American Rep. Robert Cortez “Bobby” Scott, whose maternal grandfather is a Filipino American, who is reelected for the 11th term for the 3rd District of Virginia; incumbent and five-time Milpitas, California Mayor Jose Esteves, who was re-elected for the sixth time by collecting 5,634 votes  against his rival, Rob Means, who had 2,133 votes with all the 29 precincts reporting; re-electionist Jim Navarro, who was re-elected to a third term as Union City (Ca.) Council member with 8,810 votes against Jose Estrella’s 4,227 out of all the 38 precincts; retired college administrator Rudy Nasol, who beat Jeremy Sumabon by polling 11, 353  votes against Sumabon’s 6,742 votes  out of all the 58 precincts as Trustee of San Jose-Evergreen Community District Area 1;

Two-term re-electionist Trustee Vicente M. Songcayawon kept his position as a member of the Evergreen School District Board of Trustees with 8,443 votes along with Bonnie Mace, who topped the three-person race with 10,457 votes while Balaji R. Venkatraman lost with 7,442 with all 50 precincts reporting; Independent Leonard Tengco has wrapped up the position as Virginia Beach School Board member. He received 63,419 votes against fellow Independent Eric V. Wray, Jr., with 51,118 with 94 out of 95 precincts reporting.

Della Au Bellati won the 24th District of Hawaii State Representative by a vote of 5,362 votes or 62% against Isaiah Sabey (Kauka) with 2,333 votes or 27% ; Ty J. K. Cullen also won the 39th District for Hawaii State Representative with a vote of 5,282 votes or 70.3% against Carl J. Wong, Sr., with 1,697 votes or 22.6%; Rida T.R. Cabanilla Arakawa won the 41st District with 4,330 votes or 57.7% against Adam G. Reeder with 1,730 votes or 36.4%; Greggor Ilagan won as Council Member of 4th District for Puna in Big Island with 3,940 votes or 59.2% with all 3 precincts reporting; Don S. Guzman got 23,459 votes or 48% against Alan Fukuyama with 14,921 votes or 30.5% as Councilmember of Kahului; and Kymberly Marcos Pine with 15,604 votes or 59.5% against Tom Berg with 8,965 votes or 34.2% as Councilmember of District 1 of the City and County of Honolulu, all in Hawaii.

OTHER LOSERS

The other losers are Dr. Marisha Agana, a Republican running for the U.S. 13th newly-drawn Congressional of Ohio district, who was soundly beaten by Democrat Tim Ryan, who collected 227,076 votes against Agana’s 86,269 votes with 99% precincts reporting; Hermy B. Almonte with 6,836 votes to Jim Prola with 8,635 votes as member of City Council, Dist. 6, San Leandro, California with all 57 precincts reporting; Milpitas City Planning Commissioner Alternate and Parks Recreation Atty. Garry Barbadillo placing third with votes of 3,545  for one of two available positions as Milpitas City Council member with Debbie Giordano topping the votes with 4,207 and Carmen Montano with 4,079 votes with all precincts reporting; Stewart Chen also lost when he placed third for two of the City Council seats for Alameda by having 5,855 votes  against front runners Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft with 8,642 votes and Tony Daysog with 6,200 votes with all 45 precincts reporting;

Thelma Boac is bringing up the rear with 20,128 vote against three other candidates ahead of her for the Governing Board of the East Side Union High School District with all the 253 precincts reporting; Rebecca De La Cruz Ayson lost as Daly City Clerk to K. Annette Hipona, who collected 9,544 votes against Ayson’s 6,324 votes with all 34 precincts reporting; and Democrat Will Sylianteng,  151st District of Pennsylvania State House, collected 13,457 votes  against Todd Stephens’ 19,879 votes.

Other losers are Chris Manabat, 40th District, with 3,106 votes against winner Bob McDermott with 3,249 votes and Marissa Capelouto, 42nd District, with 2,256 votes against winner Sharon E. Har with 6,251 votes with complete returns both of Hawaii State House of Representatives; Chelsea Yagong, 1st District, for Hawaii County Council member with 2,720 votes  against winner, Valerie Poindexter with 3,869 votes.

Running unopposed are Atty. Jessica O’Brien, who garnered 90.71% of votes from 1,845 out of 2034 precincts for the vacant position vacated by Judge Henry Simmons, Jr. of the Cook County Circuit Court Judge in Illinois; Gilbert S. Keith-Agaran, 9th District, Hawaii House of Representatives; and Donna Mercado Kim, 14th District; Will Espero, 19th District; and Donovan de la Cruz, 22nd, all Hawaii state Senate; Romy Cacholo, 30th District; and Henry Aquino, 38th District, both Hawaii State House; Joey Manahan for Honolulu Council seat and Ron Menor, for Honolulu City Council District 9th. (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)

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