By Akemi Tamanaha, AsAmNews Associate Editor & Louis Chan, AsAmNews National Correspondent
TJ COX FIGHTING HARD TO RETAIN CALIFORNIA CONGRESSIONAL SEAT 1:15 AM PT/ 4:15 AM ET
Filipino and Chinese American Rep. TJ Cox (D-CA) is in a tight race with his Republican challenger David Valadao. Valadao currently leads Cox 51.3% to 48.7%, with 42% of precincts reporting.
Cox is running for re-election in California’s 21st district, which includes portions of Fresno, Kern and Tulare. Cox won the seat in 2018, helping the Democrats flip a seat that had been held by Republicans since 1980. The seat had actually been held by his current challenger David Valadao, since 2012.
While Valadao currently leads, it is still too early to call the race. In 2018, Valadao led on election night and for several days after the election. Cox’s vote count didn’t surpass Valadao’s until November 26. Cox won by only 862 votes in 2018, according to Fresno Bee.
SEVERAL AAPI INCUMBENTS HOLD THEIR SEATS 1:00 AM PT/4:00 AM ET
Several AAPI incumbents, a majority of whom are from California, have won their races. Democratic representatives Ami Bera, Doris Matsui, Mark Takano, Ted Lieu and Rho Khana cruised to victory in California.
Elsewhere Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) defeated her Republican challenger Craig Keller. Jayapal currently holds 84.8% of the vote, while Keller has 15.2%. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) won her race against Thomas Zmich 62.6% to 37.4%.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) defeated Libertarian challenger Preston Nelson 70.9% to 29.1%. 
KOREAN AMERICAN MARILYN STRICKLAND ENROUTE TO BECOME FIRST KOREAN AMERICAN MEMBER OF CONGRESS 11:00 PM PT/ 2 AM ET
Marilyn Strickland (D), the former mayor of Tacoma, Washington, is currently ahead of Beth Doglio (D) 58.3% to 41.7%. Strickland was born in Seoul, South Korea to Korean mother and African American father. She will likely secure the victory, making her the first African American Congresswoman from Washington State and the first Korean American member of Congress.
AAPI CANDIDATES FALLING SHORT IN TEXAS 10:00 PM PT/1:00 AM ET
Pakistani American Sri Kulkarni (D) has been defeated by incumbent Rep Troy Nehls (R-TX) 51% to 45%.
Filipino American Gina Ortiz Jones (D) is behind Republican Tony Gonzales 51 to 46%.
Iranian American Sima Ladjevardian (D) has been defeated by incumbent Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R) 55.8% to 42.7%.
Donna Imam (D) has been defeated by incumbent Rep. John Carter (R) 53% to 44%.
SUSAN COLLINS HOLDING OFF SARA GIDEON IN US SENATE RACE IN MAINE 9:37 PM PT/12:37 AM ET
Hopes for the Democrats to unseat Susan Collins in the US Senate in Maine appear to be slipping. With 68% of the precincts reporting, Indian American Sara Gideon is down 52.4% to 41.2%. To flip the Senate, Democrats need to pick up four Senate seats, or three if Kamala Harris is elected Vice President.
TIPIRNENI MAINTAINS LEAD IN ARIZONA. CALIFORNIA RESULTS COMING IN 9:30 PM PT/12:30 AM ET
Challenger and Indian American Hiral Tipirneni is maintaining a 52% to 48% lead against Republican incumbent David Schweikert.
Rep Ami Bera, an Indian American, has a commanding 63% – 37% lead over challenger Buzz Patterson in California’s District 6.
In District 21, Filipino American and Democratic incumbent and Filipino American TJ Cox is in danger of losing his seat. He’s down 54% to 45% with 60% of the precincts reporting.
In District 35, incumbent Republican Jimmy Gomez has opened up a 52% – 48% lead over David Kim.
And in District 48, Republican and Korean American Michelle Steele who had hoped to pull an upset over incumbent Harley Rouda. She is losing 55% to 44%.
GAP TO LEGALIZE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN CALIFORNIA WIDENS 9:12 PM PT/12:12 AM ET
Proposition 16 is now losing 54.8% to 45.2% with 35 percent of the precincts reporting. The Yes on Proposition campaign believes the race is still too close to call and that nothing will be known until tomorrow morning.
VOTE TO LEGALIZE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN CALIFORNIA CLOSER THAN EXPECTED 8:40 PM PT/11:40 PM ET
With about 11% of the precincts reporting, Proposition 16 is losing by just 4% points. Polling had had Proposition 16 losing by a wide margin. Liberal counties such as San Francisco have yet to report. However, in Santa Clara County, the home of Silicon Valley and a large Asian American population, Proposition 16 is winning by less than half a percentage point.
CHALLENGER HIRAL TIPIRNENI IN THE LEAD TO UNSEAT REP DAVID SCHWEIKERT IN ARIZONA’S SIXTH DISTRICT 7:50 PM PT/10:50 PM ET
Challenger Hiral Tipirneni is ahead of embattled incumbent Rep David Schweikert 52% to 48% in Arizona’s Sixth District with 73% of the vote reporting.
Tipirneni is an Indian American doctor and cancer research. Schweikert admitted to 11 counts of misused taxpayer funds just three months ago and fined $50,000.
The House Ethics Committee found he lied about receiving a $100,000 and spending that $100,000 to exaggerate his financial position.
Schweikert is also a climate denier. Tiperneni ran in a special election for Arizona’s 8th District in 2018, but lost to Debbie Lesko.
FLORIDA NEWS STATION REPORTS FRESHMAN CONGRESSWOMAN DONNA SHALALA LOSES SEAT 7:13 PM PT/ 10:13 PM ET
Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL) has lost her seat in Miami-Dade county, according to Local 10, a local news station in Florida. Her Republican challenger Maria Elvira Salazar currently holds 51.4 percent of the vote, while Shalala holds 48.6 percent with 92 percent of precincts reporting, according to The New York Times. The 79-year-old Congresswoman served as US Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001. She won her Miami-Dade county race in 2018.
SARA GIDEON BEHIND IN BID TO UNSEAT SEN. SUSAN COLLINS OF MAINE 6:57 PM PT/ 9:57 PM ET
Sara Gideon who some said could unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins is off to a slow start. With just 7% of the expected vote reporting, Collins leads 55% – 39%, according to the New York Times. Collins is one of the Senate seats the Democrats had targetted in their bid to turn the Senate blue. The Democrats need to pick up four seats to do that. Gideon’s mother is Indian American.
VOTER HOTLINE HOURS EXTENDED 6:51 PM PT/9:51 PM ET
Asian Americans Advancing Justice, AAJC and APIA Vote have extended their voter hotline until Midnight Eastern Time.
They also advise that anyone who is under quarantine or ill can cast an emergency ballot on election day. People should call local county elections offices. There are teams that can visit health care facilities. If someone cannot reach the elections office and are registered, they can request another ballot.
VOTERS GET FED IN MANHATTAN CHINATOWN 6:15 PM PT/9:15 ET
Some voters get I vote stickers. Others get fed. That’s what AsAmNews’ Shirley Ng witnessed at Confucius Plaza in Manhattan Chinatown.
It must be the only poll site in America to give a boxed Chinese meal or boxed meal of any kind after they voted – thanks to Rethink Food. Poll workers are fed well too.
ASIAN AMERICAN JUSTICE CENTER’S VOTER HOTLINE RECEIVES 850 CALLS 5:50 PM PT/8:50 ET
A voter hotline open since the polls opened on the East Coast set up by Asian American Justice Center, AAJC and APIA Vote has received 850 calls through 8:30 Eastern time tonight.
The calls ranged from where is my polling place to calls about voter intimidation.
Michelle Boykin, spokeswoman for AAJC tells AsAmNews some have called saying they were shouted out and discouraged from voting.
Other say bilingual voting materials expected to be on hand were missing.
There were also charges of illegal electioneering. Campaigning is not allowed at a voting place.
“In the elections over the last decade, the Asian American electorate has grown larger and more engaged,” said John C. Yang, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC’s president and executive director. “Asian Americans have also faced and continue to face barriers to voting that prevent our community members from fully and equally participating in our democracy. Our hotline helps community members to navigate the questions around voting because we are determined to help our community have full access to the ballot box.”
The hotline will remain open until 10 pm Eastern Time. After that, voters may leave messages on the hotline through the rest of the week.
The phone number is 1-888-API-VOTE.
“It is our responsibility to eliminate barriers for AAPI voters. The majority of Asian American voters are immigrants and drive a growing electorate and new base of first-time voters. We know that over 621,765 AAPI voters who voted early did not vote in 2016. This increased engagement early on is only an indication of what we expect on Election Day,” said Christine Chen, Executive Director of APIAVote. “The 888-API-VOTE hotline is critical in ensuring these voters participate in elections and we have already received calls asking for assistance in registering to vote, identifying polling locations, finding translators and identifying the best options for early voting. It’s important that we provide the support necessary for our community, including those who are limited English proficient or are first-time voters in this election.”
ASIAN AMERICAN CANDIDATES IN HEATED RACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET
Asian American candidates across the country are fighting for seats in tense races. The NY Times reports that Florida Congresswoman Donna Shalala (D) is losing to her Republican opponent Maria Elvira Salazar in Miami-Dade county. Rep. Shalala is a freshman Congresswoman serving in the 27th district. She currently holds 49.2 percent of the vote and Salazar holds 50.6 percent, with 87 percent of precincts reporting. Democrats are concerned that Rep. Shalala and Biden may lose Miami-Dade county.
Elsewhere AAPI candidate Michelle Steel hopes to flip a seat for Republicans in California. Steel is running for a House seat in Orange Country (CA-48 specifically) as a Republican against Rep. Harley Rouda (D). Rhouda is a former Republican who ran as a Democrat in 2018 and managed to flip a formerly Republican held seat. According to the Orange County Register, the Democratic Party expected the race to be tight and invested a lot of money in Rouda, hoping to retain the seat they flipped.
Rouda received 46.7 percent of the vote in the March 3 primary while Steel received 34.9 percent. But the Orange County Register notes that Steel was running against three other Republicans.
In Arizona, Hiral Tipirneni is hoping to flip a House seat for Democrats. She is running as a Democrat against Republican Representative David Schweikert in the state’s Scottsdale based 6th district. Tipirneni could narrowly take the seat from Schweikert, who has gotten into trouble for violating campaign rules, according to AZ Central.
REP STEPHANIE MURPHY DECLARED WINNER BY NY TIMES IN FLORIDA 4:57 PM PT/7:57 PM ET
The NY Times has projected Rep Stephanie Murphy will win a third term to represent Florida’s 7th Congressional District. With 86% of the vote reporting, Murphy has 56% of the vote to 42.6% for Republican challenger Leo Valentin.
ASIAN AMERICAN MORE LIKELY TO SAY THEY WON’T VOTE 4:43 PM PT/7:43 PM ET
One indication that old habits die hard come out in a poll from the Business Insider.
20% of Asian Americans polled said they had no plans to vote in the 2020 election. Asian Americans were the most likely to say they will not vote among all ethnic groups.
The poll found only 9% of White voters indicating they won’t vote, followed by 15% of African Americans, 16% of Hispanic and Latinos, and 20% of American Indians.
ASIAN AMERICAN VOTERS IN THE BATTLEGROUND STATES 4:39 PM PT/7:39 ET
According to the Washington Post, in the 11 battleground states, 345,000 Asian American voters who didn’t vote in 2016 have already voted in 2020.
ENTHUSIASM HIGHER THAN USUAL AMONG ASIAN AMERICAN VOTERS 4:19 PM PT/7:19 ET
Throughout the evening, AsAmNews will have updates on how well Asian Americans are doing in the general election and the participation among Asian American voters. Please keep checking back for updates.
The polls have just closed in a smattering of states. Donald Trump is up 50 to 49 percent in Florida with 84% of the vote reported.
The political blog Yappie has reported on several polls that give a broad picture about the high enthusiasm among Asian Americans for voting this presidential election.
Target Smart reports that Asian American make up 1.8% of the early votes. That’s higher than in 2016 when they accounted for just 1.2%.
A similar analysis from Axios found much of the votes came from younger Asian American voters. Voting from 18-29 year old Asian Americans is up 278% in that age group.
Voting spiked 243% among Asian American voters in their 30’s while voting increased by those in their 40′ by 209%, according to Axios.
Enthusiasm increased in the 50 + category, but not as much. Those 50-64 voted at a rate 179% higher than in 2016 and 159% higher in the 65+ age group.
Axios reports more than 2.5 million AAPIs voted by Thursday. That’s much more than at the same point in 2016.
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