Wilma Chan
Encyclopedia
Wilma Chan is a politician in California
. Chan served as the California State Assembly
Majority Leader from 2002–2004; she was the first woman and the first Asian American
to hold the position. She also served as Assembly Majority Whip from 2001-2002. Chan is a Democrat
. She represented the 16th District, which includes Oakland
, Alameda
, and Piedmont
from 2000 to 2006 before being termed out
. In June, Chan lost a Democratic Party primary election for the California State Senate
District 9 seat that is now held by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata
, who will be termed out in 2008. Chan was a resident of Oakland for more than 20 years; she currently lives in Alameda. She is the mother of two grown children.
.
Board of Supervisors in 1994 and re-elected without opposition in 1998. She chaired the county’s committee on Health. She was the first Chair of the Alameda County Children and Families Commission that annually distributed $20 million for children's services. As a member of the Board of Supervisors, she worked to expand the number of school-based health clinics and worked to restore benefits to legal immigrants. She initiated a pilot welfare-to-work project in Oakland's San Antonio neighborhood, and developed the strategic plan on the future of health care services in Alameda County.
briefly entered the Democratic primary, but dropped out, leaving Chan unopposed. Chan won the primary with over 80% of all votes cast http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2000_primary/contents.htm. She ran against the incumbent Audie Bock
in the general election and captured over two-thirds of all votes cast http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2000_general/contents.htm.
During her six years in the Assembly, she passed more than 70 bills and resolutions. Her primary legislative areas include health care, senior services, early childhood education, environmental health, jobs and economic development. Chan authored legislation to phase out birth defect and cancer causing chemicals in California. Chan expanded preschool opportunities for toddlers by working to gain $100 million in the state budget. She also carried landmark legislation to make affordable health insurance available to 800,000 uninsured California children.
Bill Lockyer
issued a legal opinion declaring that it was within California term limits law for Perata to stand for reelection. Chan hired her own lawyers who offered the opposite finding, but she did not challenge Perata in the primary or contest Lockyer's findings. In 2005, Chan briefly considered a run for Alameda County Board of Supervisors, District 3, but decided against because she wanted to focus her attention on legislating in 2006 and on her 2008 Senate campaign http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20050816/ai_n15815104.
Chan ran for the California State Senate District 9 against current Berkeley
Assembly member Loni Hancock
. The race was hard-fought and controversial. On May 29 on KQED's Forum show, Chan acknowledged that she sent campaign mailers featuring a large photo of Barack Obama without his endorsement and without his permission. There was a great deal of confusion over who incumbent State Senator Don Perata supported, with both Hancock and Chan claiming his endorsement in direct mail and robocalls. Loni Hancock bested Chan in a low-turnout Democratic Primary in June 2008.
Chan is currently a teacher and the Legislator-in-Residence at the University of California, Berkeley
. She taught the course Cal-in-Sacramento in Spring 2007. She is also working on expanding healthcare in Oakland and Alameda County. Chan has recruited more than 1000 volunteers to spruce up childcare centers in Oakland and Alameda at an annual event.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Chan served as the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
Majority Leader from 2002–2004; she was the first woman and the first Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
to hold the position. She also served as Assembly Majority Whip from 2001-2002. Chan is a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. She represented the 16th District, which includes Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, Alameda
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
, and Piedmont
Piedmont, California
Piedmont is a small, affluent city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is surrounded by the city of Oakland. The population was 10,667 at the 2010 census. Piedmont was incorporated in 1907 and was developed significantly in the 1920s and 1930s...
from 2000 to 2006 before being termed out
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
. In June, Chan lost a Democratic Party primary election for the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District 9 seat that is now held by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata
Don Perata
Don Richard Perata is a California Democratic politician, who was President pro tempore of the California State Senate from 2004 to 2008. He came in second place in the November 2010 ballot for Mayor of Oakland...
, who will be termed out in 2008. Chan was a resident of Oakland for more than 20 years; she currently lives in Alameda. She is the mother of two grown children.
Early life
Chan holds a BA from Wellesley and a Master's Degree in Education Policy from the Stanford University School of EducationStanford University School of Education
The Stanford University School of Education , is one of the seven schools of Stanford University. It is the second-oldest school of education in the United States, after NYU...
.
Supervisor
Chan was elected to the Alameda CountyAlameda County, California
Alameda County is a county in the U.S. state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,510,271, making it the 7th most populous county in the state...
Board of Supervisors in 1994 and re-elected without opposition in 1998. She chaired the county’s committee on Health. She was the first Chair of the Alameda County Children and Families Commission that annually distributed $20 million for children's services. As a member of the Board of Supervisors, she worked to expand the number of school-based health clinics and worked to restore benefits to legal immigrants. She initiated a pilot welfare-to-work project in Oakland's San Antonio neighborhood, and developed the strategic plan on the future of health care services in Alameda County.
Run for the Assembly
Chan declared her candidacy for California Assembly District 16 by mid-June 1999. Chan highlighted the need for more Asian American representation in the state Assembly in her campaign. Former Oakland mayor Elihu HarrisElihu Harris
Elihu Mason Harris is a former U.S. Democratic Party politician and college administrator. He served as the 46th mayor of Oakland, California from 1991 to until 1999. He served for 12 years as a member of the California State Assembly before his election as Oakland mayor...
briefly entered the Democratic primary, but dropped out, leaving Chan unopposed. Chan won the primary with over 80% of all votes cast http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2000_primary/contents.htm. She ran against the incumbent Audie Bock
Audie Bock
Audie Elizabeth Bock is an American film scholar and politician who served in the California State Assembly from 1999 to 2000....
in the general election and captured over two-thirds of all votes cast http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2000_general/contents.htm.
State Assembly
Beyond her role as majority leader and whip, Chan served in several committees during her time in the Assembly. Chan served as a Chair of the Health committee, Chair of the Select Committee on Language Access to State Services, and Vice Chair of the Asian-Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. She also served as a member of the committees on Aging and Long Term Care, Jobs, Economic Development, Government Organization, and Banking and Finance. Chan was a member of the Legislative Women's Caucus, Environmental Caucus, Internet Caucus and Smart Growth Caucus.During her six years in the Assembly, she passed more than 70 bills and resolutions. Her primary legislative areas include health care, senior services, early childhood education, environmental health, jobs and economic development. Chan authored legislation to phase out birth defect and cancer causing chemicals in California. Chan expanded preschool opportunities for toddlers by working to gain $100 million in the state budget. She also carried landmark legislation to make affordable health insurance available to 800,000 uninsured California children.
Run for State Senate
In 2003, Chan considered running for Perata's Senate District 9 seat. Because Perata had won his seat during a special election, it was unclear whether Perata would be termed out in 2004. California Attorney GeneralCalifornia Attorney General
The California Attorney General is the State Attorney General of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" The Attorney General carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice.The...
Bill Lockyer
Bill Lockyer
William Westwood "Bill" Lockyer is an American politician. He is the current 32nd State Treasurer of California, elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2010. He has also served as California Attorney General and President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate...
issued a legal opinion declaring that it was within California term limits law for Perata to stand for reelection. Chan hired her own lawyers who offered the opposite finding, but she did not challenge Perata in the primary or contest Lockyer's findings. In 2005, Chan briefly considered a run for Alameda County Board of Supervisors, District 3, but decided against because she wanted to focus her attention on legislating in 2006 and on her 2008 Senate campaign http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20050816/ai_n15815104.
Chan ran for the California State Senate District 9 against current Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
Assembly member Loni Hancock
Loni Hancock
Loni Hancock is currently serving in her first term as the representative of California State Senate District 9. The 9th Senate District currently includes Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Dublin, El Sobrante, Emeryville, Livermore, Oakland, Piedmont, Richmond, and San Pablo...
. The race was hard-fought and controversial. On May 29 on KQED's Forum show, Chan acknowledged that she sent campaign mailers featuring a large photo of Barack Obama without his endorsement and without his permission. There was a great deal of confusion over who incumbent State Senator Don Perata supported, with both Hancock and Chan claiming his endorsement in direct mail and robocalls. Loni Hancock bested Chan in a low-turnout Democratic Primary in June 2008.
Chan is currently a teacher and the Legislator-in-Residence at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. She taught the course Cal-in-Sacramento in Spring 2007. She is also working on expanding healthcare in Oakland and Alameda County. Chan has recruited more than 1000 volunteers to spruce up childcare centers in Oakland and Alameda at an annual event.
External links
- About Wilma Chan, Official website
- http://www.asianamerican.net/bios/Chan-Wilma.html
- http://www.polisci.berkeley.edu/faculty/bio/visiting/Chan,W/
- http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?archiveDate=12-22-06&storyID=25922
- http://www.asianweek.com/061799/bay_wilmachan.html
- http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?archiveDate=05-23-03&storyID=16685