Korea Daily, News Report, Posted: Jun 05, 2012

Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang’s Congressional bid is garnering huge attention from California’s Korean community, the Korean-language Korea Daily reports.

Kang is running in Tuesday’s primary election for Orange County’s new 45th Congressional District including Irvine. The only Democratic candidate, he is competing against two Republicans – John Campbell and John Webb.

Mainstream newspapers report that Kang is a strong favorite to win the election (or at least finish among the top two vote-getters) since Republican votes are likely to be split between the two candidates. Kang recently gained official endorsement from the California Federation of Teachers and the Orange County Fire Department.

According to his profile, Sukhee Kang was first elected to the Irvine City Council in 2004 and was re-elected in 2006. He is the first Korean-American to serve as Mayor of a major U.S. city. Born and raised in South Korea, Kang and his wife Joanne immigrated to the United States in 1977 after his graduation from Korea University in Seoul. The father of two adult children, Kang has shown particular interest in issues revolving around education and health.