Mayor Sukhee Kang of Irvine, CA announced on today (7/1) that he will be running for the United States Congress. In an announcement letter stating his candidacy, he gave an overview of his mission:

America needs leaders in Congress with real world experience to help our nation create jobs, balance the budget, improve education, protect our environment and preserve our medicare system. This is exactly the kind of experience and proven record of accomplishment that I will bring to Washington.

A press release this Friday outlined some of Kang’s major accomplishments during his terms as mayor of Irvine. Kang focused heavily on improving public safety, protecting schools from budget cuts, and making Irvine one of the greenest cities in the country. Now known as Irvine’s “education mayor” for his achievements, Kang promised to continue fighting for relevant issues in Congress with a “direct” and “hands-on” approach.

According to his profile, Kang became the first Korean American mayor of a major U.S. city in 2008, and was re-elected again in November 2010 for a second term with more than 64% of the vote. Born and raised in South Korea, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1977, beginning a career in sales and customer service at Circuit City before entering public service.

Visit www.kangforcongress.com for information about donations and volunteering for the campaign.

[Photo: Kang for Congress]