UC San Diego Political Science Professor Tom K. Wong announced earlier today that he is suspending his campaign for San Diego’s 53rd congressional district. He said he is suspending his campaign to spend more time focusing on his family.
“At 8-years-old, our moments with the boys are increasingly precious,” said Wong on his campaign’s Facebook post this afternoon. “Above all else, I need to focus on ensuring the health and well-being of my family.”
Originally reported by The Triton, Wong announced his bid in November for the seat opened up by retiring Democratic representative Susan Davis. Wong ran on a platform advocating for immigration reform, medicare for all, and climate action.
“I’m incredibly proud of the campaign we ran—we ran on our morals and values,” said Wong. “In just over a month, we did what we set out to accomplish.”
The announcement touts fundraising, voter outreach, and ‘social media buzz’ as accomplishments from the short-lived campaign. On January 1, the campaign announced that it had raised over $100,000, and Wong says the campaign will fully refund each contribution.
Wong plans to continue his work as a professor and as the Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at UCSD. He also says he is looking forward to working with whoever is elected to the seat on immigration reform. Remaining candidates include San Diego City Councilmember Georgette Gomez and former Hillary Clinton policy adviser Sara Jacobs.
“I always appreciated your perspective on the issues, especially on immigration reform and standing up for our undocumented community. I know you’ll continue to be an important voice for our generation.” commented Sara Jacobs in response to Wong’s announcement.
Mo Al Elew is a Senior Staff Writer for The Triton. You can follow him @solomune.