Oantree at 16:25, 21 December 2025

2025-12-21T16:25:50Z

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{{short description|American politician from Indiana}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Chris Chyung
|state_house = Indiana
|district = 15th
|term_start =2018
|term_end = 2020
|predecessor = [[Hal Slager]]
|successor = Hal Slager
|birth_date =
|birth_place = [[Merrillville, Indiana|Merrillville]], [[Indiana]], U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|spouse =
|alma_mater = [[Columbia University]]
|religion =
|occupation =
}}

'''Chris Chyung''' is a real estate businessman who served in the [[Indiana House of Representatives]] from 2018 to 2020. Chyung was the first [[Asian American]] and was the youngest person serving in the Indiana House at the time.

==Early life==
Chyung was born in [[Merrillville, Indiana]] to [[Korean-American|Korean immigrants]] who worked as physicians in the local area.<ref name="star">{{cite news |last1=Lange |first1=Kaitlin |title=Meet Rep. Chris Chyung, Indiana's first Asian-American state lawmaker |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/26/meet-rep-chris-chyung-indianas-first-asian-american-state-lawmaker/2300048002/ |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=[[Indianapolis Star]] |date=26 December 2018}}</ref> He was raised in [[Munster, Indiana]] and attended [[Munster High School]] and later [[Columbia University]], where he studied [[industrial engineering]] and graduated in 2016. After graduation, Chyung completed internships in New York and Chicago before resettling in Indiana and founding a real estate business.<ref name="star"/><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-04-25|title=Class Notes: Undergraduate Alumni|url=https://magazine.engineering.columbia.edu/spring-2018/class-notes-undergraduate-alumni|access-date=2022-02-12|website=Magazine|language=en}}</ref>

==Political career==
In 2016, Chyung was spurred to run for office following the ongoing debate on immigration in the United States.<ref name="star"/> In the 2018 election, Chyung defeated third term incumbent representative [[Hal Slager]] by 82 votes.<ref name="star"/> This was seen as a surprise victory because internal polling had put Chyung behind Slager 54–37.<ref name="star"/> Chyung faced [[Anti-Asian racism in the United States|Anti-Asian racism]] during his campaign and was frequently told "go back to [[China]]", despite the fact that he is [[Korean American]].<ref name="star"/><ref name="trib">{{cite news |last1=Davich |first1=Jerry |title=A 25-year-old political newcomer in Indiana: 'I'm used to being the only Asian person in the room' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/opinion/ct-ptb-davich-chris-chyung-hal-slager-house-rep-st-1202-story.html |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref>

During his time in the Indiana House, he proposed lowering the minimum age to serve in the Legislature to 18 from 25 in the Indiana Senate and 21 in the House.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Brandon |title=State Rep. Chris Chyung Proposes Changing Age Limits To Serve In General Assembly |url=https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/state-rep-chris-chyung-proposes-changing-age-limits-to-serve-in-general-assembly |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=[[WFYI (TV)|WFYI]] |date=15 November 2019 |language=en-us}}</ref> With Senator [[Mark Stoops (politician)|Mark Stoops]], Chyung authored a bill attempting to ban [[conversion therapy]] for LGBT youth under age 18.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wooten |first1=Taylor |title=Two Indiana legislators are fighting to end conversion therapy for LGBT minors |url=http://thestatehousefile.com/44260/two-indiana-legislators-are-fighting-to-end-conversion-therapy-for-lgbt-minors/ |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=thestatehousefile.com |date=29 January 2021}}</ref> Chyung called for increases in the state education budget, crackdowns on [[payday lender]]s, and support for affordable housing and housing vouchers for veterans.<ref name="rematch"/> In his second campaign, he promised voters that he would not serve for more than eight years in office.<ref name="2020el"/> In both of his campaigns Chyung did not accept corporate donations.<ref name="2020el"/>

The 2020 election was again a race between Chyung and Slager,<ref name="rematch">{{cite news |last1=Dolan |first1=Bill |title=Race for 15th District a rematch for Slager, Chyung |url=https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/race-for-15th-district-a-rematch-for-slager-chyung/article_39b2aff5-2b6f-5504-afba-65d06e6bd17d.html |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=Northwest Indiana Times |date=15 October 2020 |language=en}}</ref> and was held during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana]].<ref name="2020el">{{cite news |last1=Reed |first1=Hannah |title=Chyung, Slager adjust campaigns for pandemic in Dist. 15 rematch |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-chyung-slager-house-race-st-0923-20200922-bn4qwy5cmza3fmq2m25nbx4luu-story.html |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=chicagotribune.com |date=22 September 2020}}</ref> Despite an endorsement by South Bend Mayor [[Pete Buttigieg]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carden |first1=Dan |title=Buttigieg backing two NWI candidates for Indiana General Assembly |url=https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/buttigieg-backing-two-nwi-candidates-for-indiana-general-assembly/article_c9400ca2-57af-5fc1-8679-20dfdddd0621.html |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=Northwest Indiana Times |date=15 October 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Slager defeated Chyung on election day.

Following his defeat, Chyung was critical not only of his own campaign but of Indiana Democratic chair [[John Zody]] and defund the police messaging.<ref>{{cite news |title=Importantville: Indiana Democrats Remain In The Wilderness |url=https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/news-and-opinion/importantville-indiana-democrats-remain-in-the-wilderness |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=Indianapolis Monthly |date=6 November 2020}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://votechyung.com/ Official Website]
* [https://twitter.com/chrischyung Twitter]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chyung, Chris}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:People from Merrillville, Indiana]]
[[Category:American politicians of Korean descent]]
[[Category:Asian-American people in Indiana politics]]
[[Category:Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni]]
[[Category:Asian-American state legislators]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Indiana General Assembly]]

Chris Chyung - Revision history

Oantree at 16:25, 21 December 2025