Millennials on the Rise — Building the Narrative: David Kim, Candidate for CA-34
Originally written for Millennial Action Project
In order to empower young people in politics, MAP is tracking every single Millennial Congressional candidate during this crucial election year. We recently released a study that found that there are over 700 Millennials running for office in this election year — that’s a 266% increase since 2018. But, we wanted to better understand the who and the why behind that change.
Keep reading to learn about candidate David Kim’s decision to run and his perspective as a Millennial candidate.
Who is David Kim?
David Kim is an attorney from California. He doesn’t like labels, prefers Destiny’s Child to TLC, loves strawberry ice cream, and would play “Always Be My Baby” on Election Day. And, he’s running for Congress in California’s 34th district.
Kim is first and foremost an immigration attorney and proud resident of California’s 34th district. He believes that there is more the government can be doing to improve the lives of everyday people who are working 2–3 jobs and living paycheck-to-paycheck. Now, Kim is running for Congress because he wants people to be able to pursue their dreams, saying “this is the legacy that we’re handing down to ourselves.”
Why is he Running for Congress?
MAP: Can you share a little about your district and your constituents?
DK: The 34th district of California is a little less than 60% Latino, 20% Asian, less than 10% African American, and other ethnicities as well. It’s one of the poorest of the 435 congressional districts, and lots of immigrant communities and undocumented communities are having it tough because of COVID-19. They have no jobs now to make ends meet, and are having to use the little savings they have — most families don’t have more than $400 in saving — and they have to choose between paying for food and paying rent. We’re gung ho about bringing about this change because we care so much.
MAP: Describe the moment you decided to run for office, and were there motivating factors to your decision?
DK: I decided to run last year, after watching the presidential debates. Part of my decision is the culmination of living in Los Angeles for almost a decade, my experiences serving in the community, and my experience also working for a campaign in 2018. That’s when my eyes opened…where I came to this deep realization that life isn’t supposed to be this hard for anyone.
Millennials on the Rise in Office
MAP: There’s been an increase of Millennials running for office. What advice would you give to those who are considering running in the future?
DK: Run! I know that you have to have certain things in place, you need to keep your feet grounded in the present moment, in reality, so that means ensuring that [you know] ‘When I run for office, it means giving up my life for the next two years’…but once you have that figured out, run. Be strategic about it.
MAP: What would change if more Millennials ran for office and won?
DK: If more Millennials ran for office, there would be way more constituency engagement! Way more! We’re very keen on connection in different ways, and we need a more representative government that isn’t just career politicians, but people from all stories, backgrounds, occupations, socio-economic statuses, ages, Millennials…that’s what a more representative government looks like. I feel like Millennials are the key to a moral revolution in DC, which is something that we really need.
I’m proud to be a Millennial and be part of this Millennial wave in running.
Kim also encourages everyone to get involved however they can — whether it’s through community work, participating in protests or campaigns that align with their heart, or running for office. He encourages everyone to find something that calls to them and motivates them to get involved so we can all work to fix the world that we share together.
MAP: What do you think is the greatest challenge of our time?
DK: That’s hard! There are too many! The top two are the financial income disparity and distress that people are going through right now, and…climate change, because it’s so real. [They’re] tied.
Kim added that climate change is interconnected with financial disparity, because climate change hurts communities who aren’t able to afford renewable energy. He went on to say that there are so many issues that are critical right now and need to be urgently addressed. If he could accomplish one thing while elected in office, it would be universal basic income, citing that people need relief right now.
A Bipartisan Future
MAP: What’s one issue area that you believe you can work with the other party on?
DK: UBI, basic income. I could, for sure.. It’s just a matter of — before going into the labels and the likelihoods — if we really connect to the story of each family and each community that’s suffering…that’s really a bipartisan issue.
MAP: Is there anyone on the other side of the aisle who you respect or would like to work with one day?
DK: I always love challenges…[so] Mitch McConnell. I feel like we’d be able to find something to talk about and connect with…but I’m not sure what the topic would be.
Kim would also be excited to work with Korean American Republican candidates who are running in Orange County. Despite their ideological differences, Kim says they care about the same issues and the fact that the American dream is not as achievable as it was 20 or 30 years ago.
The more Republicans that I’ve met, the more Independents I’ve met, the more Libertarians I’ve met…pre-covid, they would close their doors….[but] being able to connect on what values we actually care about…we found that 99% of those doors that were about to close just reopened again. [It was] because we were able to establish that…the values that we cherish are all the same.
On the subject of voting, Kim said he will be casting his vote early and in person this year, despite the anticipated long lines in Los Angeles.
Learn more about MAP’s’s “Millennials on the Rise — Building the Narrative” project here.
By Sydney Richelieu
