Iwen Chu

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Iwen Chu

| image = (02-06-24) NYS Iwen Chu (cropped).jpg

| caption = Chu in 2024

| term_start =

| term_end =

| website = {{URL|https://iwenchu.com/|Campaign website}}
{{URL|https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/iwen-chu|Official website}}

| district2 = 17th

| state_senate2 = New York State

| predecessor2 = Simcha Felder (redistricted)

| successor2 = Steve Chan

| termstart2 = January 1, 2023

| termend2 = December 31, 2024

| party = Democratic

| birth_place = Taiwan

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|12|16}}

| education = Brooklyn College (MA)

| native_name = {{no bold|曲怡文}}

}}

Iwen Chu ({{lang-zh| 曲怡文}}; born December 16, 1978) is a Taiwanese-American politician who served as a member of the New York State Senate for the 17th district. A Democrat, she is the first Asian American woman to be elected to the state senate.{{cite web |last1=Khurshid |first1=Samar |title='I knew the vote would be close, but I didn't think that close': Iwen Chu's History-Making Win in Brooklyn's New 17th State Senate District |url=https://www.gothamgazette.com/state/11695-iwen-chu-win-brooklyn-new-17th-state-senate-district |access-date=December 12, 2022 |website=Gotham Gazette |date=November 30, 2022 |language=en-us}}{{cite news |last1=Del Cerro |first1=Ximena |title=Iwen Chu elected first Asian woman state Senator in New York, will represent first Asian-majority state Senate district |url=https://www.brooklynpaper.com/iwen-chu-elected-state-senator-new-york/ |access-date=December 12, 2022 |website=The Brooklyn Paper |date=November 17, 2022}} On November 5, 2024, Chu lost her re-election bid to Republican Steve Chan.{{Cite news |last=Forsythe |first=Michael |last2=Pallaro |first2=Bianca |last3=Root |first3=Jay |last4=Weiser |first4=Benjamin |date=December 9, 2024 |title=How a Criminal With Close Ties to China Became a New York Power Broker |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/09/nyregion/chan-china-nyc-influence.html |access-date=December 9, 2024 |work=The New York Times}}{{cite web |title=‘Angry’ voters boot state Sen. Iwen Chu out of office |url=https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2024/11/angry-voters-boot-state-sen-iwen-chu-out-office/400865/ |website=City and State NY |access-date=10 November 2024}}

Early life and education

Chu was born and raised in Taiwan and moved to New York at the age of 27 to pursue a Master of Arts in sociology at Brooklyn College.{{cite web|url=https://www.cityandstateny.com/personality/2022/02/state-senate-candidate-iwen-chu-what-asian-representation-means-district-27/362480/ |title=State Senate candidate Iwen Chu on what Asian representation means for District 27 |website=City & State New York |last=Pedraza |first=February 28, 2022 |access-date=September 27, 2023 |language=en-US}}

Political career

Chu previously worked as chief of staff to former Assembly Member Peter Abbate and as a reporter for World Journal.{{cite web|url=https://politicsny.com/2022/03/01/brooklyns-chinatown-could-soon-have-its-first-asian-american-woman-lawmaker/ |last=Stark-Miller |first=Ethan |date=March 1, 2022 |access-date=September 27, 2023 |title=Brooklyn’s Chinatown could soon have its first Asian American woman lawmaker |website=PoliticsNY |language=en-US}}

The newly drawn 17th district includes the Southern Brooklyn communities of South Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Sunset Park, Borough Park, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst and Gravesend.