Charmaine Manansala Picked as Obama’s AAPI Vote Director
It was announced this week that Charmaine Manansala will serve as America’s AAPI vote director for the Obama Campaign . Betsy Kim will serve as deputy director.
Charmaine leaves her position as California area political director for the Service Employees International Union. Betsy was deputy director of the American Majority Partnership, a department at the Democratic National Committee focused on issues-based outreach to the Democratic Party’s core constituencies.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the incredible efforts of the Obama campaign’s Asian American and Pacific Islander National Leadership Council, Asian Americans for Obama, South Asians for Obama, Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, and other similar groups and community organizations who have done an amazing job in engaging thousands of AAPIs across the country in the election process,” Charmaine said.
“I would like to welcome the throngs of AAPIs who supported Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. John Edwards and the other champions of the Democratic Party. I am looking to you for your leadership and input in this campaign. Our goals for our families and the AAPI community are the same.”
Charmaine has served as an adviser to both Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Robert Underwood, and during the Clinton administration, served as senior policy analyst for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
A first-generation Filipina American, Charmaine is a board member for the Civic Participation Campaign and Asian Pacific Americans for Progress. She is a leader in the push for Filipino veterans equity.
For more information on Asian Americans for Obama, visit www.asianamericansforobama.com.
