Greater & Grander Politics; Who Is David Kim?
David Kim is a son of Korean immigrant parents and a children’s court’s attorney in Los Angeles County. He’s spent years fighting for vulnerable families who face poverty and a system that too often leaves them behind. From investigating corruption to defending immigrants, he’s seen firsthand the impact of policies on our communities.
But his work isn’t just about what he’s seen – it’s about what he’s lived. He knows what it’s like to struggle, to work multiple jobs, to make ends meet. And he knows that grit and determination alone aren’t enough to overcome systemic barriers.
That’s why he’s running for Congress in California’s 34th Congressional District in Los Angeles. He ran this past 2022 election cycle for the same seat, and won 49% of the general election votes against the corporate-backed incumbent. And he’s running again to fight for real change, to put power back in the hands of the people, not corporate special interests. Because every American deserves a safety net that protects their basic needs.
What are you running for?
I’m running for Congress in California’s 34th Congressional District because it’s time to shift the power back into the hands of the People, as our federal representatives have been sold out to corporate and special interests and we don’t have the luxury of re-electing the same career politicians, hoping that things will change, as many of our constituents and communities are suffering. Our congressional district is one of the poorest in California and the Top 20 poorest in the country, and it’s time that we elect our own, who are not backed by corporate/special interests, and who will help shift our Corporate-Centered Politics into being People-Centered, one led by the People, through Co-Governance and Life-Empowering Policies. Time is of the essence.
What school did you study at?
I attended and graduated from U.C. Berkeley, and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law – Yeshiva University.
Why did you get into politics?
As an openly gay man, and son of immigrant Korean pastor parents, I know all too well what it’s like to grow up with limited resources, to face adversity, and to survive and struggle in poverty and with systemic barriers. I know what it’s like to work 2-3 jobs and make ends meet. And as someone who’s represented and defended undocumented families in federal immigration court, whose alleged fault is to be human and to live here, and as someone who currently works as a public attorney for the most vulnerable parents and families in children’s court, I know that things will never change if we continue to let status quo be preserved by establishment politics and career politicians. That’s why I became more active in local, community politics by being elected and serving on my local neighborhood council board, and then stepping up to run for Congress as well.
How old were you when you made the decision?
I was 34 years old when I made this decision, after volunteering for current LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia, who was running for Congress, in 2017-2018, for the same seat that I’m running for now.
What were your goals when you started on Kenneth Mejia’s run for Congress in 2017?
To learn as much as I can of how the government is not serving the People, and to see how we can change and disrupt that.
What are your future goals?
My future goals are to take action, and introduce/pass legislation that will make our Congress People-Centered, and one truly led by the People and constituents, a Peoples’ Congress that is no longer opaque, but transparent, and solely moved and driven by us, the People. Currently, there’s no legal requirement for Congress-members to engage with constituents, to co-govern with them, and it’s crucial that we pass legislation like a Responsive Representation Bill that requires every Congress-member to hold monthly public town hall meetings with advance notice, office hours, drop-in hours, and to ensure that their constituents are keeping them accountable through creating/maintaining online constituent portals through constituents can submit requests, track legislative activity, see what their Congressmember is doing and engage with them, while creating and co-governing with constituent caucuses and community leaders constantly. Further, we must root out corruption from our current affairs of politics, and that starts by ending Citizens United, banning corporate PAC money, introducing ranked-choice voting, Democracy vouchers, and more. Only doing so, can we truly introduce/pass Life-Empowering Policies (i.e., Homes Guarantee, Medicare For All, Green New Deal, Jobs With Living Wages, Basic Income, etc..) and not merely have these policies remain as empty lip serviced campaign promises each election cycle.
Who funds your campaign?
Individuals who are not executives from any harmful industries, and definitely no corporate PACs, or special interest groups.
Why should people get involved and volunteer in politics?
We are all one, and helping each other means helping ourselves as well. Volunteering in politics is an opportunity to engage with our communities and see what’s truly happening in each neighborhood, constituency and community, so that we can be more informed and aware of the ways we can better the lives of neighbors, those around us, our families and our own lives, as we then truly begin to realize how we’re all equal, and that no one person or soul is worth less nor should be treated less than another. Volunteering in general, and volunteering in politics helps us to see a different world of interconnectedness and advocacy that we wouldn’t otherwise see or experience.
Why is it important for people to vote?
It is important for people to vote, because it’s our power to engage and influence our collective voice and decision-making as a whole. It’s what we can use to influence and change policy, and advocate for humane conditions that everyone has the right to live with. It’s also our opportunity to stand in the gap for others who aren’t able to vote, and have a voice.
What is the biggest mistake that people make when starting to volunteer in politics?
The biggest mistake people make when starting to volunteer in politics, is starting with a very pre-conceived agenda, full of checklist action items and goals that one wants to achieve, without connecting, listening and communicating with those in the greater community, to see what’s missing, lacking, working and needed. Otherwise, we then become another chess piece in the game of partisan and stalemate politics, when politics should really be one driven and led by co-governance, communication, listening and working together.
What’s the biggest thing you depend on in politics?
The biggest thing anyone should depend on in politics, is listening to, hearing out and spending time with constituents and seeing what’s truly needed to be that active, and powerful voice for them.
What are you looking forward to, or worried about, in the next election cycle?
I am looking forward to winning this election cycle, as we came really close in previous cycles, by winning 47% of the general election votes in 2020, and 49% in 2022, despite being outraised 8-10 times by the current corporate/special interest-backed incumbent.
Were you ever put in a position that you were asked to compromise your integrity?
I’ve been asked to take certain positions on issues like public safety, homelessness and foreign policy, by being asked to take a position on funding and increasing more law endorsement without proven results, criminalizing our unhoused neighbors who live outside and taking the colonialist, imperialistic position on foreign policy, but I would never, because doing so would be utterly disregarding the sanctity of human life and equality in every way, and against who I am, and what I’ve learned through my lived experiences. I’m for finding real solutions that go to the core of our humanity, and uplifting each and every one of us up, but our current affairs of politics and the establishment-led agenda simply doesn’t reflect that.
Be honest, what’s the worst part of the campaign?
The worst part of my job (running for Congress) is giving up my personal life, but I know it’s temporary because I know that once elected to Congress, I won’t be serving there forever, as I’m all for congressional term limits, which currently doesn’t exist, and I’ll make sure that we pass congressional term limits, as I believe this tradition of career politicians has been a contributing factor towards our government failing to truly serve the needs of our people, as our representatives’ end goal and motives at the end of the day, aren’t to serve their constituents, but to see and make sure how much longer they can serve in their elected positions, no matter what cost, even at the cost and livelihood of the People.
What motto do you try to live your life by?
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Where’s your favorite place in Los Angeles?
Anywhere there’s good food, good people, and outdoor spaces – so we must ensure that these are all kept intact and available to all.
Where can people find you online?
Social Justice & Liberal Politics – Do you want to be exposed to new thoughts and new ideas? Do you want to explore Social Justice? Sign up and get a free copy of our series of essays entitled BDSJW.
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