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Lester Chang

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Lester Chang
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 49th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded byPeter J. Abbate Jr.
Personal details
BornNew York City, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceBensonhurst, Brooklyn
EducationBrooklyn College (BS)
State University of New York Maritime College (MS)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
RankChief Warrant Officer
UnitUnited States Navy Reserve
Battles/warsWar in Afghanistan

Lester Chang (Chinese: 鄭永佳) is an American businessman, naval reservist, and politician who represents the 49th district of the New York State Assembly, which comprises part of South Brooklyn. A Republican, he defeated longtime Democratic incumbent Peter J. Abbate Jr. in 2022.[1]

Early life and education

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Lester Chang was born in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan to parents from China. When he was 8 years old, his father died of cancer and the family moved to Hong Kong before moving to Midwood, Brooklyn. Chang graduated from Midwood High School, then Brooklyn College with a Bachelor of Science in accounting and the State University of New York Maritime College with a Master of Science in international transportation.[2]

Career

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Chang previously worked in banking as well as international shipping logistics.

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Chang guides Brig. Gen. Warager through the NY Guard's COVID-19 response at Javits Center.

Chang is a retired member of the United States Navy Reserve and current member of the New York Naval Militia. In the aftermath of 9/11, he was assigned to Washington, D.C. and was deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan as a military analyst.[3]

Political career

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Chang first ran for office in the 2016 special election for the 65th Assembly district to succeed Sheldon Silver following his resignation due to a corruption scandal. He was on the ballot for the Republican, Reform, Independence, and 'Clean Up This Mess' party lines.[3] He placed third behind Democrat Alice Cancel and Working Families Party-endorsed Yuh-Line Niou respectively.[4]

In 2020, he ran in the 26th State Senate district, losing to incumbent Democrat Brian Kavanagh.

In 2022, Chang announced he would run against longtime Democratic incumbent Peter J. Abbate Jr. in the 49th Assembly district. The redrawn district is majority Asian-American and includes parts of the Southern Brooklyn communities of Dyker Heights, Sunset Park, Borough Park and Bensonhurst.[5] In an upset attributed to Republican organizing in the traditionally Democratic-leaning Chinese community, Chang defeated Abatte.[6]

Residency challenges

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Following his election to the State Assembly, the Brooklyn Democratic Party attempted to block Chang from being seated. Proponents claimed that Chang had been living in Manhattan and was therefore ineligible to have been elected under New York's one-year residency requirement for candidates. Chang claimed to have lived in Manhattan until 2019, when his late wife passed away, before moving back to Brooklyn; but records show he had voted in Manhattan in 2021 and previously ran for office there in 2016 and 2020. Critics of the move pointed out that his ballot petitions could have been challenged in court before the election, but Democrats waited until after he had already won.[7][8]

An investigation organized by Speaker Carl Heastie concluded that Chang did own an apartment in Manhattan, but he fulfilled the residency requirements to run in the district.[9]

The Daily News editorial board published an article in support of Chang taking his Assembly seat, noting hypocrisy from Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and Heastie.[10]

Personal life

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Chang lives in his childhood home in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. He has spoken about receiving mental health treatment for PTSD, the death of his wife from cancer in 2019, and aiding his 95-year-old mother who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.[2]

Electoral history

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2022

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2022 New York State Assembly election, District 49[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lester Chang 6,888
Conservative Lester Chang 536
Total Lester Chang 7,424 52.0
Democratic Peter Abbate Jr. (incumbent) 6,842 47.9
Write-in 21 0.1
Total votes 14,287 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

2020

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2020 New York State Senate election, District 26[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brian Kavanagh (incumbent) 95,552 78.9
Republican Lester Chang 22,549
Conservative Lester Chang 2,752
Total Lester Chang 25,301 20.9
Write-in 222 0.2
Total votes 121,075 100.0
Democratic hold

2016

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2016 New York State Assembly special election, District 65[13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alice Cancel 7,873 41.3
Working Families Yuh-Line Niou 6,654 34.9
Republican Lester Chang 2,972
Independence Lester Chang 503
Clean Up The Mess Lester Chang 155
Reform Lester Chang 122
Total Lester Chang 3,752 19.7
Green Dennis Levy 714 3.7
Write-in 53 0.4
Total votes 19,046 100.0
Democratic hold

References

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  1. ^ Fink, Zack (November 30, 2022). "Assembly prepared to vote against seating Brooklyn Republican". NY1. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Campanile, Carl (December 21, 2022). "Newly elected GOP pol Lester Chang grilled by Democrats over residency: 'I'm a Brooklynite'". New York Post. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Litvak, Ed (April 14, 2016). "Our Conversation with Assembly Candidate Lester Chang". The Lo-Down. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  4. ^ Yee, Vivian (April 20, 2016). "Mixed Results Seen in Special Races to Replace Silver and Skelos". The New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  5. ^ Yan, Jie En (May 30, 2023). "州眾議員鄭永佳新辦公室 落腳漢密爾頓社區". World Journal (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  6. ^ Chan, Wilfred (November 28, 2022). "The other New York: how Republicans made 'shocking' gains in the empire state". The Guardian. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  7. ^ Campbell, Jon (20 December 2022). "A Republican won a Brooklyn Assembly election. Democrats may not let him take his seat". Gothamist. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  8. ^ Cruz, David (20 December 2022). "NY Assembly investigates Republican member-elect over residency questions". Gothamist. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  9. ^ Fink, Zack; Konig, Joseph. "Assembly Democrats won't vote to expel Lester Chang over residency questions". NY1. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  10. ^ Editorial Board (December 4, 2022). "Where Lester lives: Lester Chang should be able to serve his constituents". Daily News. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  11. ^ "General Election 2022 - Member of the Assembly - 49th Assembly District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  12. ^ "State Senator 26th Senate District - General Election - November 3, 2020". New York State Board of Elections. December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  13. ^ "Special Election 2016 - Member of the Assembly - 65th Assembly District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
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