Jun Choi

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Jun Choi

Jun H. Choi is the current 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^[1]. His administration is focused on rebuilding public trust, fiscal responsibility, education, economic development, reforming planning / zoning and bringing together the diverse and dynamic communities of Edison. Prior to becoming Mayor of Edison, Choi worked on education policy as a senior official with the New Jersey Department of Education. He also served in the White House Office of Management and Budget and worked in the private sector as a management consultant for Ernst & Young.

Mayor Choi graduated from J.P. Stevens High School in Edison. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a B.S. degree in Aeronautics/Astronautics in 1994. He is also a graduate of Columbia University, where he was awarded a Master of Public Policy and Administration. Choi is also a Leadership New Jersey Fellow (Class of 2003).

1 Election 2005
2 Edison Police controversy
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Election 2005

Running on a good government platform and a call to reform the Democratic Party, Jun Choi won the June 2005 primary by a 56-44% margin, defeating longtime incumbent Mayor George A. Spadoro. Union support was essential for Jun Choi's primary victory over 12-year incumbent Spadoro. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), IUC, and Teamsters all put their forces behind Choi. Choi also received the national endorsement of Democracy for America (DFA) in the June Primary Election.

In the ensuing general election, Choi did not face a Republican candidate, but instead faced a former Democrat turned Independent. Choi had a large grassroots following of new, independent and younger voters.

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-Wal-Mart 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^[2].

During the campaign, Choi's candidacy was at the center of "Jersey Guys" controversy involving local radio shock jocks who made anti-Asian remarks on the air^[3].

[edit] Edison Police controversy

Main Article: Police Department Controversy

Mayor Choi is currently embroiled in the controversy surrounding the Edison Police Department's handling of the arrests of several Indian American men in 2005 and 2006^[4]. Although Choi has stood by the officer involved, who was ultimately cleared, there have nevertheless been calls for his resignation from members of both the police union and the Indian-American community^[5].