The Republican poised to become the first Korean-American woman in Congress got a severe jolt, as the ongoing count of absentee ballots in California’s 39th District (Orange County) showed her ahead by her tiniest margin so far.
As of Thursday morning, Republican Young Kim, former state assemblywoman and longtime aide to retiring Rep. Ed Royce, R.-CA., led Democrat and U.S. Navy veteran Gil Cisneros by 122 votes out of more than 198,880 votes.
No sooner than the latest figures became public than an angry Kim announced on Twitter that the remaining ballots must “nearly match” the results of those counted.
In a not-so-subtle hint that her campaign would charge fraud if the count went against her, Kim said that the counted votes not matching those already counted “could reflect foul play.”
A spokesman for the County Registrar’s office told the Los Angeles Times no one had attempted to alter any ballots.
Born in Inchon, South Korea, Kim Young emigrated to the U.S. at age 13 in 1975. If she emerges triumphant, she will be the first Korean American woman in Congress and the third Korean American ever to serve in Congress.
(Democrat Andy Kim was called the winner in New Jersey’s 3rd District Wednesday night; Republican Jay Kim was the first Korean American to serve in Congress, elected from Orange County in 1992 and serving until ethical violations caused his defeat in 1998. He later returned to South Korea and was appointed a special ambassador for Korean-American relations).
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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