LOS ANGELES—Several Filipino-Americans emerged as winners in Tuesday’s elections in California and Hawaii.
Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye will begin her tenure as California’s Chief Justice in January. Three others in the state were reelected mayor—Cristopher Cabaldon of West Sacramento, Pete Sanchez of Suisun City in Solano County, and Jose Esteves of Milpitas.
Cantil-Sakauye is the first Asian, first Filipino and the second woman to become Chief Justice in California. Sixty-seven percent voted “yes” to her appointment.
Cabaldon won by 64.2 percent over his opponent, Greg Potnick, with 35.8 percent. Sanchez got 67 percent of the votes, while Esteves led his rivals with 42.3 percent.
Mike Guingona, Rob Bonta and Pat Gacoscos topped the city council elections in Daly City, Alameda City and Union City, respectively. Hydra Mendoza was No. 1 in the race for the San Francisco School Board.
Myrna de Vera won a seat in the Hercules City council, while Joanne del Rosario was reelected to the Colma town council.
New leadership level
These victories demonstrated a new level of political leadership by Filipino-Americans, according to Dexter Ligot-Gordon, chair of Kaya (Filipino Americans for Progress). “They also showed that Fil-Ams, as a constituency, must be recognized and sought after,” he said.
Kaya endorsed many of the Filipino-American Democratic candidates.
In Hawaii, unofficial and partial results showed Kymberly Marcos Pine, a Republican, heading for a landslide victory in her bid to be reelected state House representative in District 43.
As of presstime, Pine enjoyed a wide margin, with 66.3 percent of the votes, over her challenger Jason Bradshaw’s 31.4 percent.
Pine’s grandfather, Nemesio Marcos, came from Ilocos Norte and fought in World War II.
