News

Asian Americans Could Help Flip One of the Most-Watched Suburban Congressional Districts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2020

Media Contact:
Bilen Mesfin Packwood, [email protected]

Asian Americans Could Help Flip One of the Most-Watched Suburban Congressional Districts
Nationally, Asian Americans are indispensable partners of the new progressive coalition

LOS ANGELES, CA—Two election eve polls conducted by the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund and Asian American Decisions found that the Asian American electorate has formed into a progressive voting bloc and could play a critical role in swinging GA-07 in suburban Atlanta. 

On Thursday, November 5 at 12:30 PM Eastern/9:30 AM Pacific, Asian American Decisions and AAPI Civic Engagement Fund will host a webinar to provide detailed poll findings and electoral context for Asian American voters nationally and in Georgia. Taeku Lee from Asian American Decisions will present key findings from the polls, and will be joined by: Stephanie Cho, Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta; Deborah Chen, Civic Engagement Program Director, OCA-Greater Houston; and Tram Nguyen, Co-Executive Director, New Virginia Majority Education Fund. Please RSVP to [email protected] to receive information on how to join the webinar.

Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux is winning in an Atlanta suburban district, 51% to 49%.  Based on findings of one poll, Asian Americans voted 62% to 36% for Bourdeaux, representing 17% of her total vote and accounting for 150% of her current winning margin. In other words, if Asian Americans had not voted at all, Bordeaux would be losing 52% to 48%.

Race played a significant factor in driving Asian American vote choice. For example, Asian Americans reported greater instances of racism than in past polls. In Georgia, 43% of Asian Americans were subjected to slurs or jokes based on their race and 23% were victims of physical assault or battery. And 75% of Asian Americans in GA-07 indicated that discrimination was among the most important issues in their decision to vote. 

Because of race and other motivating issues, first time Presidential voters made up a greater percentage of the Asian American electorate compared to years past, comprising 41% of all Asian American voters in this Georgia district.

Nationally, the 2020 American Election Eve Poll also provides the most accurate information about the 2020 vote choices and motivations of Asian American voters. Among the key findings:  

  • Asian Americans voted for Joe Biden over Donald Trump by a margin of 68% to 28%.
  • Asian Americans voted for a Democrat over a Republican in the election for U.S. House of Representatives by a margin of 68% to 30%.
  • 72% of Asian Americans said that Donald Trump does not care or was hostile to Asian American voters.
  • 67% of Asian Americans said they believed President Trump ignored the early warning signs of coronavirus and because of his mismanagement, millions of Americans became sick, and more than 220,000 died.

 The coronavirus pandemic, jobs and the economy, and health care costs were among the four top voting issues in 2020 for Asian Americans, in addition to discrimination and racial justice. Eighty percent of Asian Americans agree that White Supremacy is a major threat to our country. When it comes to policies, an overwhelming majority of Asian American voters took a progressive stance on a range of issues.

The American Eve poll was a nationally representative sample of 1,675 Asian Americans and 41 Pacific Islanders. The Asian American sample was 23% Chinese American, 20% Asian Indian, 15% Filipino American, 14% Vietnamese American, 12% Korean American, and 12% Japanese American. The poll in GA-07 comprised 302 Asian American voters, weighted to match the demographics of the district.

Full polling tables and related materials can be found here:
https://aapifund.org/program/research-and-tools/
https://electioneve2020.com/ 

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ABOUT THE AMERICAN ELECTION EVE POLL

The lead pollsters for the 2020 American Election Eve Poll include Latino Decisions, Asian American Decisions and the African American Research Collaborative. Sponsoring organizations include: AAPI Civic Engagement Fund, NAACP, America’s Voice, UnidosUS, Advancement Project, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Community Change, Demos, Faith In Action, Florida Alliance, Indivisible, League of Conservation Voters, Momento Latino, National Congress of American Indians, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Urban League, Race Forward, RuralOrganizing.org, SEIU, Vera Institute of Justice, Voter Participation Center.

ABOUT AAPI CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FUND

The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Civic Engagement Fund is a national initiative established in 2014 to foster a culture of civic participation within AAPI communities by supporting the growth of AAPI groups as leaders in organizational movement and power building to achieve specific policy, systems, and transformational change. We were formed with the belief that AAPIs must be an integral part of strengthening America’s democracy, in advocating for improving the quality of life for all, and in creating vibrant multiracial communities.

This entry was posted on November 5, 2021