Jun Choi
Encyclopedia
Jun H. Choi is an American
politician
and the former Mayor of Edison, New Jersey
, a community of over 100,000 people and the fifth largest municipality in the state. He was sworn in on January 1, 2006 as the youngest mayor in Edison history. Prior to becoming Mayor of Edison, Choi worked on education policy as a senior official with the New Jersey Department of Education
where he started the NJ SMART Program, improving public school education performance metrics for 1.4 million New Jersey children. He also served in the White House
Office of Management and Budget and worked as a management consultant for Ernst & Young
's Center for Technology Enablement, focusing on strategy and technology issues for large US corporations. In May 2011 he announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination in 2012 for New Jersey's 7th congressional district
, a seat currently held by Rep. Leonard Lance
, a Republican.
at an early age before moving to Edison, New Jersey
. He graduated from J.P. Stevens High School
in Edison. Choi earned his pilot's license as a teenager and wanted to become an astronaut before entering public service. Choi earned a Bachelor of Science
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and a master's degree
in public policy
and administration
from Columbia University
. Choi is also a Leadership New Jersey Fellow (Class of 2003).
Running on a platform to make government work and reform the Democratic Party
, Choi won the June 2005 primary by a 56-44% margin, defeating longtime incumbent Mayor George A. Spadoro
. This was the first time in Edison history that a challenger won the Democratic primary. While most of the county and state Democratic organizations endorsed Spadoro, Choi was endorsed by former Senator
Bill Bradley
, for whom he worked on the 2000 presidential campaign, and was unexpectedly endorsed by the Teamsters, UFCW and a number of traditionally candidate-neutral unions in Edison.
The 2005 Edison Mayoral campaign brought together four key factors that helped Choi win both the primary and general elections. An American Prospect article details these findings. They include 1) attracting new voters into the process, 2) a good government message, 3) anti-Walmart or economic justice theme and 4) an effective Internet-based progressive mobilization. These dynamics, the article argues, can be a model for progressive
candidates in developing a winning campaign.
During the primary campaign, Choi's campaign was attacked by the "Jersey Guys" who made anti-Asian, discriminatory comments on air. Craig Carton and Ray Rossi, two shock jocks, later apologized to Choi on their program. The controversy involving local radio shock jock
s who made anti-Asian remarks on the air. The Jersey Guys made racist remarks regarding Choi and Asian Americans on their show over a few hours, in 2005 when Choi first ran for mayor. The Jersey Guys had said on their show that Asian Americans are not “real Americans." The controversy drew national attention and seven major advertisers withdrew their support of Millennium Radio.
For 2007 primary, Choi ran a slate of four council candidates under the "Edison Democratic Party" (Column A) ticket against the incumbent Democratic council (Column B), who were endorsed by state senator
Barbara Buono
as well as the county organization. Choi's opponent from his 2005 mayoral race, Bill Stephens, also led a slate of candidates under the "Edison Democrats for Change" ticket (Column C).
All four of Choi's council candidates won the primary. All four Democratic candidates subsequently won the general election. In addition, an attempt to create a ward system in Edison and expanding the council to nine members from seven was defeated in two municipal questions. Choi and the Democratic slate campaigned against the ward system. Despite a strong grip of the city council, Choi worked hard during his 4 years as Mayor to try to take control of and reform the local Democratic Party but was unable to gain the majority.
In June 2009, Choi lost his re-election narrowly in the Democratic primary.
Barack Obama
for president in the 2008 election, becoming one of the earliest elected officials in New Jersey to support Obama whereas most of the party establishment supported then frontrunner Sen. Hillary Clinton. Choi, pledged to Obama, was a candidate for Democratic District Delegate
in the Tenth Democratic District in New Jersey, which is composed of the 17th and 18th legislative districts. The New Jersey presidential primary, coinciding with Super Tuesday, took place on February 5, 2008.
In February, 2009, Choi was one of the first group of Mayors nationwide to officially visit President Obama at the White House along with members of the cabinet.
(South Korea
) and moved to the U.S. at the age of three. He is married to Lisa, who served as Student Body Co-President as an undergraduate student at Stanford University
. They reside in Edison, New Jersey.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and the former Mayor of Edison, New Jersey
Mayor of Edison, New Jersey
Mayor of Edison, New Jersey*Antonia Ricigliano 2011 to present, is first female mayor*Jun Choi 2006 to 2011*George A. Spadoro ? to 2006*Thomas H. Paterniti 1987 to ?*Bernard James Dwyer 1958 to?...
, a community of over 100,000 people and the fifth largest municipality in the state. He was sworn in on January 1, 2006 as the youngest mayor in Edison history. Prior to becoming Mayor of Edison, Choi worked on education policy as a senior official with the New Jersey Department of Education
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...
where he started the NJ SMART Program, improving public school education performance metrics for 1.4 million New Jersey children. He also served in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Office of Management and Budget and worked as a management consultant for Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
's Center for Technology Enablement, focusing on strategy and technology issues for large US corporations. In May 2011 he announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination in 2012 for New Jersey's 7th congressional district
New Jersey's 7th congressional district
New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Leonard Lance.In the 2008 election, Mike Ferguson did not seek another term. Linda Stender won the Democratic nomination unopposed, while Republican primary voters chose State Senator Leonard Lance in a field of...
, a seat currently held by Rep. Leonard Lance
Leonard Lance
Leonard Lance is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the New Jersey Senate and the New Jersey General Assembly....
, a Republican.
Early life and Education
The son of immigrants, Choi lived in Elizabeth, New JerseyElizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
at an early age before moving to Edison, New Jersey
Edison, New Jersey
Edison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township and Woodbridge Township...
. He graduated from J.P. Stevens High School
J.P. Stevens High School
John P. Stevens High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves the northern end of Edison, in Middlesex County, New Jersey. It is one of two public high schools in the Edison Township Public Schools, the other being Edison High School...
in Edison. Choi earned his pilot's license as a teenager and wanted to become an astronaut before entering public service. Choi earned a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
and a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
and administration
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. Choi is also a Leadership New Jersey Fellow (Class of 2003).
Education Policy
After entering public service, Choi focused on education policy. He co-wrote the first overview of New Jersey's Charter Schools in 2001 with Gordon MacInnes, then the CEO of Citizens for Better Schools. He later worked at the New Jersey Department of Education in Commissioner Bill Librera's administration on a statewide program named NJ Standards Measurement and Resource for Teaching (NJ SMART).Mayor of Edison
Elected on a good government, reform-minded platform, Mayor Choi reduced the size of government by 15% while improving services and without permanently laying off municipal employees. He also completed several economic development projects, including planning and negotiating the 1.2 million sq/ft Edison Towne Square (former Ford Plant). He professionalized the Edison Police Department which earned accreditation in 2009 and completed the newly built Edison Public Safety Center. Choi advanced several education projects including a township wide school construction plan and many energy efficiency programs. Mayor Choi also implemented new technologies that improved government efficiency such as Compstat (intelligence/data-driven policing), Citizen Service Request (on-line government service request and tracking system) and putting the entire municipal code (local laws) on the web for easy access.Running on a platform to make government work and reform the Democratic Party
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...
, Choi won the June 2005 primary by a 56-44% margin, defeating longtime incumbent Mayor George A. Spadoro
George A. Spadoro
George A. Spadoro is an American Democratic Party politician who served three terms as Mayor of Edison, New Jersey, and two terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 18th Legislative District.-Biography:...
. This was the first time in Edison history that a challenger won the Democratic primary. While most of the county and state Democratic organizations endorsed Spadoro, Choi was endorsed by former Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley
William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....
, for whom he worked on the 2000 presidential campaign, and was unexpectedly endorsed by the Teamsters, UFCW and a number of traditionally candidate-neutral unions in Edison.
The 2005 Edison Mayoral campaign brought together four key factors that helped Choi win both the primary and general elections. An American Prospect article details these findings. They include 1) attracting new voters into the process, 2) a good government message, 3) anti-Walmart or economic justice theme and 4) an effective Internet-based progressive mobilization. These dynamics, the article argues, can be a model for progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
candidates in developing a winning campaign.
During the primary campaign, Choi's campaign was attacked by the "Jersey Guys" who made anti-Asian, discriminatory comments on air. Craig Carton and Ray Rossi, two shock jocks, later apologized to Choi on their program. The controversy involving local radio shock jock
Shock jock
Shock jock is a slang term used to describe a type of any radio broadcaster who attracts attention using humor that a significant portion of the listening audience may find offensive. The term is usually used pejoratively to describe provocative or irreverent broadcasters whose mannerisms,...
s who made anti-Asian remarks on the air. The Jersey Guys made racist remarks regarding Choi and Asian Americans on their show over a few hours, in 2005 when Choi first ran for mayor. The Jersey Guys had said on their show that Asian Americans are not “real Americans." The controversy drew national attention and seven major advertisers withdrew their support of Millennium Radio.
For 2007 primary, Choi ran a slate of four council candidates under the "Edison Democratic Party" (Column A) ticket against the incumbent Democratic council (Column B), who were endorsed by state senator
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
Barbara Buono
Barbara Buono
Barbara Buono is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 2002, where she represents the 18th Legislative District....
as well as the county organization. Choi's opponent from his 2005 mayoral race, Bill Stephens, also led a slate of candidates under the "Edison Democrats for Change" ticket (Column C).
All four of Choi's council candidates won the primary. All four Democratic candidates subsequently won the general election. In addition, an attempt to create a ward system in Edison and expanding the council to nine members from seven was defeated in two municipal questions. Choi and the Democratic slate campaigned against the ward system. Despite a strong grip of the city council, Choi worked hard during his 4 years as Mayor to try to take control of and reform the local Democratic Party but was unable to gain the majority.
In June 2009, Choi lost his re-election narrowly in the Democratic primary.
Early Obama Support
On July 27, 2007, Choi endorsed United States SenatorUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for president in the 2008 election, becoming one of the earliest elected officials in New Jersey to support Obama whereas most of the party establishment supported then frontrunner Sen. Hillary Clinton. Choi, pledged to Obama, was a candidate for Democratic District Delegate
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
in the Tenth Democratic District in New Jersey, which is composed of the 17th and 18th legislative districts. The New Jersey presidential primary, coinciding with Super Tuesday, took place on February 5, 2008.
In February, 2009, Choi was one of the first group of Mayors nationwide to officially visit President Obama at the White House along with members of the cabinet.
Congressional Run
On May 5, 2011, Choi announced that he would be seeking to replace Republican incumbent Congressman Leonard Lance in November 2012.Personal life
Choi was born in SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
(South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
) and moved to the U.S. at the age of three. He is married to Lisa, who served as Student Body Co-President as an undergraduate student at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. They reside in Edison, New Jersey.