Judy Chu is a loyal Democrat with a voting record that many interest groups rate among the most liberal in the House. She is the first Chinese-American woman elected to Congress and has been the chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus since 2011. In 1985 she was elected to a local school board in Monterey Park, then served for 13 years on the city council. After two unsuccessful bids for election to the California Assembly, Chu finally won in 2000.