Asian voters in New York City left the Democratic Party to throw their support behind the GOP in the 2022 midterm elections, thanks largely to the recent uptick in crime, according to The New York Times.
New York City saw a significant increase in crime in 2022, with major crimes up 22% from the year prior as well as an increase in racial attacks against Asians, according to The New York Times. Asian voters, who have traditionally been a significant and reliable voting block for Democrats, are beginning to switch parties. (RELATED: Six Major US Cities Report Historic Increases In Violent Crime)
“My vote was purely a message to Democrats. Don’t take my vote for granted,” Karen Wang, a lifelong Democrat, told the NYT.
Crime was the ultimate deciding factor in why some Asian voters switched from Democrat to Republican for the first time, according to a series of interviews conducted by the NYT. Increases in crime against Asian Americans have been particularly prevalent in New York; one woman was shoved in front of a subway, and another was stabbed 40 times in her home, while hate crimes against Asian Americans quadrupled in 2021.
Many Asian Americans used their vote to send a message, citing violence as the sole reason for their party change.
“Why should I support Democrats who discriminate against me?” Lailing Yu told the NYT.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 24: Mayor Eric Adams speaks onstage during Angel Ball 2022 hosted by Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation at Cipriani Wall Street on October 24, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation)
Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for governor in the 2022 election, saw surprising success compared to previous GOP candidates after strongly emphasizing crime in his campaign. However, he still fell short of New York City Gov. Kathy Hochul, receiving 53% of the vote.
Hochul sparked criticism over her handling of the increase in crime in New York, while Eric Adams, elected mayor of New York in 2021, ran a campaign focused on public safety and curbing crime.
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