Washington, DC — After prevailing in a tight race, AAA-Fund endorsee Mark Keam became the first Asian American elected to Virginia's House of Delegates, and Susan Shin-Angulo became the first Korean American woman to be elected in New Jersey and the Northeast Corridor.

"Mark Keam and Susan Shin-Angulo ran as people who will work with all sides to get things done, and their twin victories vindicated that message," said Gautam Dutta, AAA-Fund Executive Director. "Fairfax County and Cherry Hill are gaining strong advocates who will work tirelessly on the issues they care about."

Keam, a former chief counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, defeated Republican Jim Hyland, 51 percent to 49 percent. Keam will represent the 35th District, which lies in the heart of Fairfax County in northern Virginia. The district's Asian American population is about 10 percent. Keam, a Korean American, has served on the AAA-Fund's board in the past.

Shin-Angulo, who serves on the local zoning board and human relations council in New Jersey's Cherry Hill Township, won her first race for township council. The township, located in Camden County near Philadelphia, is about 10 percent Asian American.

In other races, AAA-Fund endorsee Creigh Deeds fell short in the Virginia governor's race, as did Jeanette Rishell in Virginia. Boston mayoral candidate Michael F. Flaherty Jr., who had pledged to appoint AAA-Fund endorsee Sam Yoon as his Deputy Mayor, also lost.

"We commend Creigh Deeds, Jeanette Rishell, and Sam Yoon for running spirited campaigns," said AAA-Fund's Gautam Dutta. "Their example has inspired Asian Americans to get more involved in the political process," he added.

The AAA-Fund is a Democratic political action committee whose goal is to increase the voice of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) on every level of local, state and federal government in America. To achieve this goal, we address the chronic under-representation of AAPIs as campaign volunteers, campaign contributors, and candidates for political office. The AAA-Fund has endorsed candidates across the country.