Democrat Judy Chu on Tuesday won a runoff election to become the first Chinese American congresswoman in the United States.

Judy Chu, vice chair of the California State Board of Equalization, received 61.67 percent of the vote while Republican Betty Chu collected 33.12 percent.

The seat was left vacant after Hilda Solis became President Barack Obama's labor secretary.

Judy Chu, who will fly to Washington on Thursday to be sworn in, told Xinhua that as a Chinese American and especially as a woman from a Chinese immigrant family, she has had to overcome many more difficulties than Caucasians but was glad she did it.

She said it was hard for her to run for the Monterey Park City Council in 1988, when the city was divided over the issue of "English only." She finally united the majority and succeeded in that first campaign.

In the past 30 years since she first ran for the school board and city council, then the California state assembly and later the State Board of Equalization, she has won 10 times and never failed.

"I am proud of those victories and the victory tonight to be the first Chinese American woman in the U.S. Congress," Judy Chu said.

Soon after Judy Chu was elected as a Monterey Park City Council member and mayor, she led a delegation to visit China in 1990 when relations between the two countries were not normal. She visited China again in 1994 and 1999 as a city councilwoman.

Asked whether she would visit China soon after being elected to the U.S. Congress, she said it was too early to say but would not rule out the possibility.

She said that as a Chinese American, her door to the Chinese community is always open. But she stressed that as a congressional member, she will serve all Americans whether they are Asian, black, Caucasian or Latino.

She said her priority in Congress will be the economy. But as a descendant of an immigrant family, she also will push forward immigration reform.

Judy Chu easily defeated her Democratic challenger, California State Senator Gil Cedillo, in the May 19 election. However, Chu's 32.49 percent victory was short of the more than 50 percent majority required and a runoff was needed amongst the top vote-getters.

Judy Chu, Betty Chu's cousin by marriage, was born in Los Angeles, and her father was also born in the U.S. Her mother, however, came from southern China's Guangdong Province. Her husband Mike Eng is a member of the California Assembly.

(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2009)