Honda, Chukwu vie for 15th District seat

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Mike Honda is heavily favored against
Republican and aerospace engineer Raymond Chukwu for the 15th
District congressional seat.
The district lies entirely within Santa Clara County and covers
a large part of Silicon Valley, including Gilroy and several other
South Bay cities.
Incumbent Democratic Rep. Mike Honda is heavily favored against Republican and aerospace engineer Raymond Chukwu for the 15th District congressional seat.

The district lies entirely within Santa Clara County and covers a large part of Silicon Valley, including Gilroy and several other South Bay cities.

Honda, a former educator with more than 30 years of political experience, is running for re-election for his third term as congressman. He has earned the support of several Democratic organizations including labor unions, abortion rights advocates and environmental agencies.

Chukwu, born to an American mother and Nigerian father, has worked as a research specialist for Lockheed Martin and as president and CEO of an aerospace technology company.

He currently works as CEO for Black Technologies, a position he has held since 1992. This is Chukwu’s first sought elected office.

Chukwu said he hasn’t been following closely the issue of Indian gaming because he’s been busy campaigning, and he needed more information before taking a formal position either for or against Indian casinos and development.

He said the state should be responsible for making compacts with Indian tribes that could lead to the development of tribal trust land, but local opinion also should be considered.

Honda does not support casinos but strongly supports tribal sovereignty and tribes’ rights to develop their land, said Honda spokesman Jay Staunton.

“He respects the rights of tribes to do what they want to do with their land as a sovereign nation,” Staunton said. “But he is concerned about the impacts of casinos … in numerous regards.”

Chukwu said his main platform issues are bringing back jobs and businesses to Silicon Valley, improving education and school accountability and promoting scientific research and development for a stronger economy. He said more technical knowledge and background is needed in Congress to create additional higher paying jobs, especially to benefit working families.

Honda’s main platform issues include the economy, healthcare and civil rights, Staunton said.

On his re-election Web site, Honda said he believes everyone should have access to quality healthcare at an affordable rate, the economy should continue to grow through highly trained workers and quality education, and that the protection of “civil rights of all Americans, particularly Native Americans and our nation’s racial minorities, transcends politics.”

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