Lawmakers raising money to defeat Republicans who mocked China-born colleague

After two state lawmakers posted a podcast that mocked a China-born colleague’s accent, a group of Asian American and Pacific Islander lawmakers is raising money to campaign for their opponents.

They group formed a campaign slate, which allows them to raise and share money among members. Already, the AAPI United in Action Slate has raised more than $60,000.

In an announcement, the AAPI United in Action Slate said they raised money “to expand representation and fight xenophobia.”

The slate, formed this summer, includes Democratic AAPI incumbents and candidates. But in recent weeks, the slate added candidates who are challenging the Republican lawmakers whose podcast targeted Del. Chao Wu, whose district includes parts of Howard and Montgomery counties.

Del. Mark Fisher, a Calvert County Republican, and Del. Brian Chisholm, an Anne Arundel County Republican, posted a 13-minute video on social media focused on Wu. Throughout the video, they engaged in racist stereotypes and insinuated that Wu, who immigrated from China, has Communist sympathies.

Fisher and Chisholm suggested that Wu had ulterior motives in sponsoring a bill that would have required companies that are developing generative artificial intelligence systems to disclose information about the data used to train them.

Chisholm, in a mocking Chinese accent, invoked a proverb: “Only catch fish in muddy water.”

The two refused to apologize for their remarks. Fisher and Chisholm could not immediately be reached for comment.

The AAPI United in Action Slate’s membership includes three Democrats running in Chisholm’s district, which elects three delegates: Joan Cole, Heidi Schmidt and Ryan Shaban. The slate also includes Jennifer Davidson, who is challenging Fisher in his single-delegate district.

Campaign slates are a common tool used by political allies during election season.

Under campaign finance laws, a campaign is limited to donating no more than $6,000 to another candidate. But members of a slate can contribute unlimited funds that can be used to support any of the members. That means candidates who are good fundraisers or facing little opposition can shift money to candidates who need it.

A campaign slate can also accept donations from individuals and groups.

The Maryland General Assembly currently has eight members who identify as AAPI who are members of an AAPI legislative caucus. The caucus has existed for a decade, but this is the first time members have branched out to form a slate to get involved in campaigns.

Del. Lily Qi, a Montgomery County Democrat and chair of the caucus, said the AAPI community has seen “tremendous growth.”

“Yet we continue to face xenophobia, including racist comments made against our members earlier this year,” Qi said in a statement. “So this felt like the right time to get to work by organizing ourselves and building a campaign structure not just for this election cycle, but for the future.”

Every member of the caucus has contributed, Sen. Clarence Lam, a Howard County Democrat, said in a statement, a sign of their commitment.

The slate’s launch fundraiser in late August featured Democratic heavy-hitters, including: Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk and Maryland Secretary of State Susan Lee.