By Neela Banerjee
Favored Asian American candidate for the 12th Assembly District Judge Lillian Sing, dropped out of the race last week due to health reasons.
“I’ve been blessed by the overwhelming amount of support. Every day, I receive phone calls from people who want to endorse me,” Sing said at a press conference held at the Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) office. “My health is such that I am forced to get out at this point.”
Two weeks ago Sing was diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer, which healed but reoccurred soon after. Sing’s doctors suggested that she take time to recover from this sudden illness. That meant withdrawing from the campaign trail.
Sing, the first Chinese American woman judge in Northern California, was drafted to run by a group of Asian American leaders, including U.C. Berkeley professor Ling Chi Wang and noted attorney Norman Lew of Lew & Fong. At campaign events over the past several weeks, Sing was lauded for her many contributions to the Chinese American community – which include being a founding member of CAA. Sing served on the San Francisco Community College Board from 1979 to 1981, when she was appointed to the San Francisco Municipal Court. She was elected to Superior Court in 1994.
“I would like to continue in the race and if I did, I know I would be representing the city in Sacramento,” Sing said, choking up with emotion. “But in my life, the most important thing is my health.”
At the press conference, Sing’s mother, Madeline Kwak, spoke on her daughter’s retirement from the race. “I asked her not to run because she is very sick. She lost nearly 15 pounds in the last two weeks,” Kwak said. “She listened to me.”
Sing’s departure from the race opens the door for Supervisor Leland Yee, who would have been her biggest competitor. Yee has not yet officially announced his candidacy but says it is only a matter of time before he does so. Some of Sing’s supporters, like Wang, had characterized Yee’s move to run for Assembly as a divisive one, designed to split the Asian American community.
“I don’t subscribe to the theory that if a Chinese is running, only one Chinese should run and no other Chinese should run,” Yee said.
Yee said he and his staff have been studying the race for the past month and are confident that it is, indeed, a “winnable campaign.”
There are also rumors that former District 7 Supervisor Mabel Teng may take this opportunity to run for office. Sherman Tang, former Chinese community affairs coordinator for Teng, said that Teng has not yet made the decision to run.
“It is still early, but she would have a strong support base,” Tang said.
To run for Assembly, Sing was going to give up her judicial position because ethics issues prevent judges from campaigning and fundraising. With her health complications, Sing decided to return to her judicial position. As a judge, Sing cannot endorse any candidate.
A number of Sing’s supporters and colleagues were present at the press conference to show their support of her decision.
“Welcome back to the judicial community. You have always done a wonderful, competent job,” Superior Court Judge Leonard Louie said. “We welcome you back with open arms.”
CAA executive director Diane Chin recognized Sing’s dedication to progressive politics, saying that her work has affected not just the Chinese community, but all communities in San Francisco.
Sing said she will continue to serve the community and has no plans to run for office again, until the opportunity presents itself. “The Chinese community is more politically active and aware than it has ever been,” Sing said. “We must work together and not be divided by individual politics.”
Sing said she will return all of the $60,000 she had received so far in donations and support. |
