Gary Locke endorses Connie Chan for Nancy Pelosi's congressional seat

Gary Locke, the first Chinese American governor in the United States and former U.S. ambassador to China, has endorsed Connie Chan in her campaign for the congressional seat formerly held by Nancy Pelosi, Mission Local reported.

Locke's endorsement is significant within San Francisco's Chinese community, which comprises nearly one-quarter of the city's population. His support comes alongside that of Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, the first elected Chinese American state attorney general in the U.S.

Chan's campaign is focusing on issues such as lowering living costs and expanding opportunities for working families, according to Locke's statement shared by Mission Local.

In the final days before the election, Chan and state Senator Scott Wiener are actively courting Chinese American voters, who are seen as a decisive group in this congressional race. Chan participated in traditional activities in Chinatown, including a visit to the Kong Chow Temple and a voter mobilization parade attended by about 200 community members.

Mission Local noted that as of October 22, over 21,000 San Francisco voters had requested ballots in Chinese, and Wiener's campaign had made 22,000 phone calls to these voters, highlighting the importance of outreach to the Chinese-speaking electorate in the city.