| Front Page | In This Week's Issue | Subscribe | Special | Archive | About AsianWeek |
October 25-31, 1996

Great Aspirations

Prospects are good for the nation's first Chinese American governor

CLEAR CHOICES: Gary Locke and his challenger in the Washington state gubernatorial race, Republican candidate Ellen Craswell, at a debate last month near Blaine, Wash. Craswell's campaign has launched negative ads against Locke in the last weeks of the election when most polls show Locke well ahead in the race. photo By Robert Sorbo/AP

By Bill Wong

In full campaign throttle, Gary Locke tells the poignant tale of a "100-year journey from houseboy to the governor's mansion."

It is a story as American as Horatio Alger, Bill Clinton, and Bob Dole.

Locke's grandfather emigrated from the Toishan region of Guangdong Province, China, some 100 years ago and became a houseboy in Olympia, the state capital of Washington.

On Nov. 5, Locke, a 46-year-old former state legislator and current top county administrator, is heavily favored to become governor of Washington and thus preside over the state government about a mile from where his grandfather began the Locke family's American saga.

More than that, Locke would zoom to the pinnacle of the burgeoning Asian Pacific American political movement. He would be the first Asian American governor of any mainland state and first Chinese American governor of any state. (Hawaii has had three non-Chinese Asian American governors.)

The symbolism isn't lost on Locke. "Being the first mainland Asian American governor, I could help elevate, articulate, and amplify Asian American issues," he said in an interview with AsianWeek. These issues include affirmative action and "glass ceiling" barriers, and immigration policies and the impact of welfare reform on legal immigrants.

Nor is the symbolism lost on Asian American political observers outside of Washington state. Locke's prospective victory would be "a breakthrough to a level of leadership we have never seen before on the mainland," said Don Nakanishi, director of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center.

"There is potential for some positive consequences that could come from Gary being elected," Nakanishi continued. "He is sensitive to and knowledgeable about Asian American policy concerns." When Locke meets with the other 49 governors and issues of significance to Asian Americans are raised, his voice would bring a new perspective and credibility to the table, joining the Hawaii governor's.

The burden would be heavy, but Locke seems up to the task.

A Democrat, he emerged first with 24 percent of the vote among a crowded bipartisan primary field in September. Ellen Craswell, a former state senator, was the top Republican vote-getter with 15 percent.

Recent polls have shown Locke ahead, but his aides say he is running as though he is the underdog. Locke appears to have wider appeal than Craswell, a conservative with strong support from the Christian Coalition who favors privatizing schools and other government services. Craswell's far-right positions have prompted moderate Republican leaders to announce their support of Locke.

Locke calls Craswell a "formidable opponent." But at a fundraiser held for him by wealthy Asian Americans in Silicon Valley last Sunday in Cupertino, Locke said he was "confident" of victory.

He notes how Craswell's campaign has launched negative ads against him, accusing him of being an "extreme liberal," which he is not. He said her charges ignore the fact that he has worked to streamline government and has considerable law-enforcement support.

His supporters say he is a sure bet to win. Paul Berendt, the state Democratic chairman, has said Locke will win because of his experience and dynamism and because Craswell's views of government are out of step with most Washingtonians.

Locke's campaign hopes to raise $1 million for the Nov. 5 run-off election. It spent $800,000 during the primary. About 20 percent of the latter amount was raised outside of Washington, much of it in Asian American communities in California, New York, and other states.

Because of recent national publicity over Democratic Party solicitations of donations from Indonesian and other Asian individuals and entities, Locke can't escape questions about possible illegal contributions from Asian sources. He objected to the characterizations of these contributions as "Asian." They are "foreign" contributions in the same way that German, or Canadian, or Israeli sources give money to American political campaigns, he said.

One of those in the Cupertino crowd, Ignatius Y. Ding, an engineer and political activist, said the money being contributed to Locke's campaign is money earned in the United States by Chinese American high-tech entrepreneurs. He said it is not Asian money being laundered through American sources.

Whatever the passing controversy, no one can question Locke's impeccable qualifications. He served with distinction for 11 years as a state legislator, including five years as chairman of the powerful budget-writing committee. For the past three years, he has been King County executive, heading up the second largest governmental unit and the largest county in the state. Before his 14 years as an elected official, Locke was a deputy prosecutor in King County, which includes Seattle.

Locke doesn't attach a political label to himself. Others, however, call him either a "new Democrat" or "moderate Democrat," much in the mold of President Clinton. One Seattle Asian American activist, who asked to remain anonymous, called Locke "a closet Republican."

His campaign platform melds Democratic and Republican stances-strengthening public education, stimulating economic development, increasing public safety, protecting the environment, and streamlining state government. According to his supporters and his record, he didn't come upon his moderate-centrist agenda overnight.

Locke earned his reputation as a first-rate legislator through hard work and a keen intelligence. He distinguished himself when he chaired the House Appropriations Committee for five years, according to several sources.

Art Wang, who served in the state Legislature with Locke for much of the 1980s, said, "Everyone respects him as being one of the best, brightest, most knowledgeable legislators. He has an incredible mind for details."

Martha Choe, a Seattle city council member, said Locke "has a remarkable ability to reflect the priorities of the community while taking into account budget realities. There is no better budget guru than Gary. He really knows the [budget] details. This knowledge made him a stand-out legislator."

Terry Mark, a legislative assistant to Locke for two years, describes her former boss as "a computer brain who can spout out numbers. ... He looked critically at every public dollar."

Mark said Locke was so well prepared during annual state budget hearings that state agency officials and others seeking a piece of the budget had to endure rigorous questioning from him. "Everyone had to justify every dollar they requested. If they weren't prepared to do that, they realized they might not get funded. Gary did his homework. He was cordial and kind, but he asked very direct questions that needed direct answers."

Joan Yoshitomi, a former Locke aide and now director of community relations for King County, said Locke has always "worked both sides of the aisle, [Democrat and Republican]" in the Legislature. "He was able to craft dollars for programs he cared about that would normally fall through the cracks," she said.

Locke developed his political skills not through the conventional backrooms-and-bars venues, but with his technical knowledge and an open, collaborative style to try to resolve public issues, his supporters said.

As he moved up the legislative ladder, Locke didn't shy away from issues important to Asian Americans. Over the years, he sponsored or supported bills that established a minority and women's business enterprise office, authorized the practice of acupuncture, provided low-income housing for refugees, gave redress for Japanese American municipal employees, expanded nursing home beds for ethnic minorities, and created an "English Plus" state policy that tolerates other languages.

When Locke won the King County Executive seat in 1993, he faced different challenges. The Kingdome, where the Seattle Seahawks football team and Seattle Mariners baseball team play, was in embarrassing disrepair. Ceiling tiles fell during games. Locke oversaw the upgrading of that facility.

Then the Seahawks owner, Ken Behring, wanted to pull his team out of Seattle. Locke stood up to him and has fashioned a tentative deal for Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen to purchase the team and keep it in Seattle.

Locke successfully promoted public assistance to keep the Mariners afloat, then helped push through a plan to build a new baseball stadium to be financed through a public-private partnership.

His work on the Mariners collided with some Asian Americans. Throughout his political career, Locke has won widespread support from Seattle's diverse APA communities. In the primary, however, some Asian Americans backed his opponent, Seattle Mayor Rice.

"We hate him and we love him," Yoshitomi told Asian Week. "Some groups feel he doesn't do enough for Asian Americans. Others think he is wonderful." Yoshitomi said some APAs have criticized Locke for not having enough diversity on his staff or for not appointing enough APAs to boards and commissions. Locke supporters point out many APA appointments.

Some International District Asian Americans didn't like the fact that Locke, as the top county administrator, didn't name any APAs to the seven-member governing body of the Public Facilities District (PFD), the quasi-governmental unit created to own and operate the proposed Mariners baseball stadium, which will be going up right next to the district where many APAs live and work.

These activists remain troubled that the environmental impact report on the stadium siting didn't include provisions that would address some of the negative effects that a stadium would have on the mostly Asian American neighborhood, such as heavy traffic and heightened public safety concerns.

Locke named four Asian Americans to a 16-member citizens advisory committee to the PFD and his supporters say Locke tried to persuade at least two Asian Americans to take a PFD appointment, but was turned down for different reasons.

Even while Locke has not been able to please all Asian Americans all the time, there is no doubt about his Chinese background.

His pioneering grandfather worked in Washington canneries and logging camps and cooked in various guises. His father, also China born, served in the U.S. Army and was part of the allied Normandy invasion during World War II. Locke's parents operated a restaurant in Seattle's famous Pike Place Market and a grocery business as well. Even today, Locke's father cooks for his campaign staff.

"My Chinese Asian heritage is an integral part of me," Locke said. "I can't separate that from who I am. It has helped shape my values-the importance of family and education." He said that given an Asian American history of contributing to this society, "It's only fair that Asian Americans be at the table making laws that affect us all."

Locke said he didn't speak English until he went to kindergarten. As a child, he grew up in a public housing project. Later on, his smarts got him into Yale, then to Boston University for his law degree.

His wife of two years, Mona, a former TV news personality, has called Locke a "straight arrow." The Lockes are expecting their first child in March, adding to the candidate's overall appeal. Supporters also describe him as an "Eagle Scout." In fact, Locke was an Eagle Scout and his life embodies a squeaky-clean image. He doesn't drink alcoholic beverages or smoke. He doesn't even use swear words in private or demonstratively express anger.

Contrary to his public image as a workaholic policy wonk, Locke is "well rounded," his friends say. For instance, he has a good voice and has been known to sing solos at wedding banquets. He enjoys hiking and camping in the natural wonders of Washington state. He is an amateur photographer and botanical buff. And he is good at making ice cream from scratch.

Perhaps Locke's favorite nonwork role is as a "Mr. Fixit"; he's an accomplished handyman who has elaborately remodeled his home. Indeed, some friends say, Locke's idea of fun at a party is to fix someone's leaking faucet.

Governors today have to be public Mr. Fixits. Locke said if he's elected he won't abandon needy people in his state, including legal immigrants who might lose social-service benefits.

Given his record and his values, Gary Locke is more than ready to assume the top public job in a state with only a 5 percent Asian American population. His ascension would symbolize another realization of the American Dream.