May 2019 Special Election Endorsement Process

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”

― Malcolm X

We don’t have to wait until 2020 to decide the fate of our future! This May 2019, special elections for our most local institutions -- the ones most intimately involved in our day to day lives -- will be on the ballot, from our local school district board members, to parks and recreation boards, and community college boards.

School Board members perhaps have the most influence over the future trajectory of our next generations. Parents take no duty more sacred than the health and education of their children, and our public schools are where our students build the skills they need to succeed in this society, and determine their own lot in life. The stakes for these elected offices could never be higher -- school board leaders elected this May 2019 will be responsible for deciding how to spend a potential $1 billion infusion of K-12 education funding from the State, or, if our state leaders in Salem fail to deliver, these school board members will decide which painful items to cut from our education system.

The future is now. Our school districts and policies must reflect the experiences and understanding of incredibly diverse student population, who carry the future of our state. As a progressive Asian and Pacific Islander community our duty is to our students and setting them up for success. If students show in up the classroom, we must show up at the ballot. Politics is education. Knowledge is power.

In March 2017, we announced the formation of our 501(c)4 organization and we’ve made great strides in showing what APANO and our community can do at the ballot. Last May 2018, 6 out of the 7 candidates that APANO endorsed won, and some even made history. In the big November 2018 General election, all 14 of the ballot measures and candidate campaigns that APANO worked on came out on the winning end.

For May, will be making additional candidate endorsements and focusing our efforts in the following 5 “Priority Races” at the state level for the May 21, 2019 Special Elections:

• Hillsboro School Board (Zones)
• Lake Oswego School Board (Positions)
• Portland Public Schools (Zones)
• Salem-Keizer School Board (Zones)
• Tualatin Parks and Recreation District (Positions)

Continuing our critical electoral and candidate endorsement work is the next step for building AAPI political power in Oregon. APANO, considering organizational capacity and impact, is guided by the following criteria in determining which races to engage:

• Elected Position purview and potential ability to impact or influence API lives
• APANO Members in district, concentration of Asian and Pacific Islanders, and opportunity to grow base
• APANO issue campaign or concerns (including national) at stake in district
• Asian and Pacific Islander and People of Color candidates in district
• APANO can make a difference in the race, it is a close, competitive race, opportunity for APIs to work on campaigns
• Strengthens APANO’s long-term capacity and growth

If you are a candidate who is running for an elected office for which APANO is making endorsements, please read our Candidate Endorsement Packet and fill out our Candidate Endorsement Interview Request Form to begin the process! Applications are due on Thursday, February 21st.

Our AAPI votes matter. Our values-led work matters. Come support the fight for May.

If you want to learn more about (FAQ) or get involved with our candidate endorsement process or our greater c4 political program, please do not hesitate to contact Robin Ye, Political Director, at robin@apano.org.


This programming message is brought to you by APANO, a 501c4 nonprofit organization.