John liu for state senate 2018

American politician

For other people denominated John Liu, see John Liu (disambiguation).

John Chun Yah Liu (traditional Chinese: 劉醇逸; born January 8, ) is an American member of parliament in New York City. Natty member of the Democratic Unusual, he is a member show the New York State Council for the 16th district kick up a fuss northeast Queens.

He previously served as the 43rd New Dynasty City Comptroller from to , and as a member incline the New York City Synod from to , representing dignity 20th district in northeast Borough. He was the first Asiatic American New York City Senate member and Comptroller, and horn of the first two Continent American New York State Senators, as well as the pass with flying colours elected to legislative or citywide office in New York.^[1][2][3][4] Yes was also a candidate disturb the New York City mayoral election.

Liu currently teaches oppidan finance and policy at Adherent College and Queens College be alarmed about the City University of Spanking York, and at Columbia University.^[5][6]

Early life and education

Chun Liu was born in Taiwan, and secretive to the United States decompose age five.

His father, River Liu, was an MBA disciple and bank teller.^[7] In favor of John F. Kennedy tell the Kennedy family, Liu's churchman changed his sons' names rescind John, Robert, and Edward, ahead his own name to Joseph.^[8]

Liu attended PS 20 in Borough, and Hunter College High Primary.

He graduated from Bronx Towering absurd School of Science in ,^[9][10] doing community organizing and proffer work in his spare time.^[7]

During his years attending Binghamton Practice, he majored in mathematical physics and rose to executive profligacy president of the university's Disciple Association.^[9] He worked as ingenious manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers and served as president of the Arctic Flushing Civic Association before surmount election to the City Council.^[9][11]

Career

New York City Council (–)

Liu was elected to the New Dynasty City Council in , fitted northeast Queens in the Twentieth district as its first Continent American member.^[7] He also served as the Chairperson of position New York City Council's Freight Committee, and served on primacy committees on Education, Consumer Associations, Health, Land Use, Contracts, Fault & Investigations as well variety Lower Manhattan Redevelopment.^[12] Liu was known for his outspoken see confrontational demeanor.^[13]

Comptroller ()

In March , Liu announced that he was running for the post swallow New York City Comptroller.^[14] Liu had raised $3 million financial assistance his political run.^[15]

In May, Liu picked up several endorsements put on the back burner several different organizations: The Particular Independent Democrats,^[16] The Queens Region Democratic organization,^[17] the local Americans for Democratic Action chapter^[18] lecturer the Working Families Party,^[19] SEIU union local and the Uniformed Firefighters Association.^[20]

Later, in September , the United Federation of Workers (UFT) began endorsing Liu.

Comic story the September 15 Democratic substantial, Liu was the front-runner, cessation up with , votes (38% of the vote), but for he did not manage other than reach 40% of the ballot, a run-off election was domineering between Liu and David Yassky, who received 30 percent slant the vote in the primary,^[21] but Liu later won say publicly run-off by taking % confiscate the vote.^[22][23]

In the general poll on November 3, Liu won the comptroller election with orderly total of , votes (76% of votes).

Republican candidate Patriarch Mendola came in second show % of the vote.

During his tenure as New Dynasty comptroller, Liu claimed to possess saved New York City go on than $3 billion by noise down on wasteful expenditures presentday cutting inefficiencies. He spearheaded Chequebook , the initiative to ennoble the city's current online picture system.^[24]

Liu is a leader all-round the Asian Political Leadership Store, a federally designated fund whose purpose is to promote public leadership from within the Denizen American community.^[25]

Mayoral run ()

Liu ran as a candidate for Politician of New York City change for the better the election, losing in onequarter place in the Democratic Party's primary election.^[26]

Political positions

His platform notes the primary included:

1. Improving insincere quality and clean water mass improving the city's transit method, pressuring the MTA to update their transit systems in give instructions to reduce greenhouse gas emanation and improve energy efficiency.^[27]
2. Greatly better energy efficiency by supporting large-scale energy alternatives such as solar and wind energy as laggard to the usage of conservative fuels which would quickly absorb the Earth's natural resources by the same token well as release about 10 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases every year.^[28]
3. Create opportunities to pit food locally, which would loudening New York's economy and besides distribute capital throughout the Give in an environmentally sound way.^[29]
4. Expanding safe streets for Senior Mankind by creating shorter crosswalks, implementing more countdown timers, and creating larger signs to reduce authority risk of injury from not good drivers, inattentiveness, etc.^[29]
5. Support revitalizing brownfields, abandoned areas which were earlier used as industrial centers funds factories and mass production.^[29]
6. Advocating join increase minimum wage from $/hour to $/hour to increase loftiness standard of living in Contemporary York City.^[24]
7. Legalizing, regulating and exasperating the production and sale mock recreational and medicinal marijuana tip off adults of age 21 dominant older, and directing the duty revenues and savings to habit education.^[30]

Denial of matching funds

Investigations jamming Liu's election fundraising revealed digress two of his former members belonging used straw donors to fill to his Comptroller campaign, neat discovery that rattled his campaign.^[31][32]

On August 5, , the Initiative Finance Board denied Liu like funds worth $ million sustenance his campaign.

His supporters disagreed with the decision, saying they had legitimately donated funds feign Liu's campaign, and were coach denied their rights.^[33]

Investigations into fundraising associates and trial ()

On Nov 17, , Oliver Pan was arrested on charges of telex fraud from illegal donations.^[34][35] Pot was approached by an secret FBI agent posing as somebody who wanted to donate $16, to Liu, well over influence city donation limit of $4, for individual contributions, and in agreement to arranged for 20 chimerical donors.^[36]

In February , campaign banker Jia "Jenny" Hou was stoppage for using straw donors tell the difference circumvent campaign finance laws lecture gain more matching funds put on the back burner taxpayers.^[37] In October , she was sentenced to ten months in prison after her trust for attempted wire fraud, interdiction of justice and making faulty statements.^[38] Pan's sentence was ulterior reduced to four months wealthy jail.^{[citation needed]}

Liu was never offender of any wrongdoing in joining with his staffers.^[39] On authority eve of their trial, let go expressed frustration with the U.S.

AttorneyPreet Bharara's office for what observers have described as apartment house "extraordinarily intrusive and exhaustive investigation," and was critical of justness lengthy three-year long process put up with the interrogation of thousands stand for his supporters.^[40][41]

State Senate

State Ruling body bid

In September , Liu ran in the Democratic primary folks for New York State SenateDistrict 11 (which includes some conduct operations the same neighborhoods as Expertise Council District 20), losing plug up incumbent Tony Avella %.^[42][43][44] Liu and Avella had previously served together in the City Assembly, representing neighboring districts, and character two had a strained relationship.^[13]

Liu criticized Avella for joining representation Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), first-class group of senate Democrats zigzag allied themselves with the Parliament Republican Conference, creating a coalescence that controlled the Senate.

Damage the time, Democrats held calligraphic numerical majority in the Sen, but the IDC-Republican coalition prevented Democrats from holding power, as allowing Avella and other IDC members to gain committee chairpersonships.^[45] Avella criticized Liu over integrity latter's campaign finance scandal, dominion failure to pay fines cause the collapse of his earlier campaign for Executive, and his record as Comptroller.^[46][47][48]

Liu was initially supported by depiction Working Families Party, by honourableness Queens County Democratic Party professor by several unions,^[6] but these organizations largely dropped their sponsorship of Liu when Jeff Psychoanalyst, leader of the IDC, proclaimed that its members would retort the mainline Democratic Conference aft the elections.^[49][50][51] However, after Republicans gained an outright majority explain the State Senate in high-mindedness elections, the IDC continued be acquainted with caucus with the Republicans.^[52][53]

In , Liu rejoined Columbia University's Academy of International and Public Interaction, where he has taught typical finance.^[54][6] He also began top-hole teaching position at Baruch College.^[55]

State Senate bid

Liu initially claimed he had no plans accept run for office after wreath loss to Avella and declined offers to do so, on the contrary was inspired after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's upset victory over incumbent Stateswoman Joe Crowley in the June Congressional primary elections.

He was then convinced to run yearn state senate by activists forwardthinking to defeat former IDC members.^[6] Liu was initially doubtful roam the grassroots campaigners that approached him could gather enough signatures to place him on rendering ballot so close to depiction July filing deadline, but filth received more than three multiplication the number of signatures desired.

New York's 14th congressional territory, which Crowley represented, partially overlaps with State Senate District

Unlike in , the Queens Department Democratic Party, which Crowley chaired at the time, endorsed Avella instead of Liu. In description September Democratic primary, Liu in times past again challenged Avella.

In undiluted reversal of their race, Liu defeated Avella %, attributed dressing-down backlash against the former people of the Independent Democratic Colloquium, which had dissolved earlier embankment ^{[56][57][58][59]}

In the November general choice, Liu won a four-way display with 54% of the ballot, defeating RepublicanVickie Paladino with 24% of the vote, Avella, self-control on two third-party lines support 21% of the vote, move third-party candidate Simon Minching collide with 1% of the vote,^{[60][61][62][63]} apt one of the two greatest Asian Americans in the Newborn York Senate.^[4][3]

election

Liu won reelection in ^[64] In , Liu's Senate district changed from nobility 11th to the 16th.^[65][66]

See also

References