Above: From left: Mondale Williams, Jeanny Ho, Adrian M. Fenty, and Alexander Chi.

            Although it is almost certain the Democratic nominee for mayor of the District will be elected this November, Adrian M. Fenty isn’t giving himself a rest. After having spent the summer tirelessly campaigning, Fenty has wasted no time in preparing for his new job since his victory in the primaries.

            If Fenty defeats his Republican opponent in this heavily Democratic city in November, he will be the youngest mayor in D.C.’s history at age 35. Fenty has the confidence of his voters, but there is much expected of him. He has already begun tackling many of D.C.’s pressing issues surrounding its failing schools, high crime rates and new baseball stadium with the current mayor, Anthony Williams.

While Fenty’s job will be a huge challenge for this two-term Ward 4 council member, he has a strong base of supporters from around D.C., including the Asian American community in Chinatown.

“I think Fenty really cares about the individual, and as a Chinese community we really want to coordinate to support him,” said Jeanny Ho, vice chair of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, which represents Chinese American interests in Washington.

Ho and several other supporters of Fenty held a fundraising reception for the candidate on Oct. 8 at the Lei Garden Restaurant in Chinatown. On Sept. 11, Fenty also made a trip to Chinatown to meet with seniors at Wah Luck House, where he discussed ways to improve access to affordable healthcare and housing for residents.

“One of his policies was that he promised to have healthcare to low-income, elderly people and those who do not have health insurance. And that’s very important to the Asian American society,” Ho said.

During the primaries, Fenty ran against several other Democratic challengers, including Linda Cropp, the D.C. Council chairman with 16 years of experience on the council and 10 years on the school board. Despite the initial odds, Fenty won 57 percent of the vote and the majority of votes in every precinct.

Fenty’s sweep of all eight wards and 142 precincts makes him the first mayoral candidate to win every precinct since 1974, which is a significant feat since the wards are comprised of residents with different income levels and political interests, according to a September report in The Washington Post.

Fenty’s popularity with voters stems from his extensive door-to-door campaigning starting from June 2005. Fenty’s approachable personality and promise to stay in close touch with his constituents also attracted many to his side, resulting in key endorsements from The Washington Examiner and The Washington Post, with the Post calling a vote for Fenty, “a vote for hope" for the city.

“Fenty shows he really cares about Chinatown right now. Hopefully we have a channel where we can present our concerns,” Ho said.

During the fundraiser at Chinatown, Fenty said he wants to promote greater diversity and language skills in the government while supporting small businesses, including those in Chinatown. Fenty’s top campaign issue is improving D.C.’s public school system, which is also a priority in the Asian American community, according to Ho.

“He has a vision to bring Asian Americans back to D.C.,” she said, noting that many Asian Americans who used to live in the District left the area because of its struggling education system.

Another issue important to Fenty is family values. “We met his parents and talked about their family values, which is very important to us. In our Asian culture, education is very important to us so we know he will pay attention to elderly people and education,” Ho said.

Adrian Fenty, born in 1970, received a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and holds a juris doctorate from Howard University School of Law. He had a brief career as a practicing attorney until he won the Ward 4 council seat in 2000 after defeating four-term incumbent Charlene Drew Jarvis. Fenty became the youngest member of the council, and was re-elected in 2004.

Fenty was raised in Mount Pleasant and currently lives in the Crestwood neighborhood of Northwest D.C. with his wife, Michelle, and their twin sons, Matthew and Andrew, according to his campaign website.

Ho would like to see the Asian American community in D.C., not just the Chinese residents of Chinatown, support a candidate who would represent their interests. “We also get the Korean and Vietnamese Americans together as well and try to reach them as a whole. There’s still time we can work together.”