Steven J. Kung Announces Run for Monterey Park City Council, District 5
Grassroots leader who helped ban data centers in Monterey Park with 88% voter support now seeks to bring transparency, accountability, and resident-first governance to Monterey Park City Hall
Monterey Park, CA — Steven J. Kung, co-founder of No Data Center Monterey Park and a leading organizer behind the historic passage of Measure NDC, announces his candidacy for Monterey Park City Council, District 5.
Kung helped organize one of the most decisive grassroots victories in the city’s history. After learning in December 2025 that a hyperscale data center was planned within walking distance of his home, he sprang into action, connecting with neighbors, consulting legal advisors, partnering with nonprofits, and co-founding No Data Center Monterey Park.
His coalition-building efforts and persistent demands for transparency helped pressure the city council to pass a moratorium and a permanent citywide ban on data centers. When the issue went to voters as Measure NDC on June 2, 2026, residents affirmed the ban by an 88% margin. Kung and his husband Jesse opened their home to launch the ballot measure campaign, earning endorsements at every level of government.
Now Kung wants to channel that same energy into broader change. “Winning the data center battle by a landslide made me dream of all the other things we could accomplish with this momentum,” Kung says.
Kung, a writer/director known for ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat and Netflix’s Dear White People, is a second-generation Taiwanese-American who grew up visiting family in the San Gabriel Valley. But, Kung said, he and his husband were specifically drawn to Monterey Park because of its rich culture, embrace of diversity, and of course the amazing food. The warm welcome they experienced from neighbors only confirmed their sense of belonging and deepened Kung’s commitment to the community.
“My neighbors inspired me to transform my activism into a run for office.” Kung said. “I realized that as a councilmember, I could have an even bigger impact advocating for our community.”
Kung’s platform focuses on boosting the local economy, increasing government accountability and transparency, building healthier neighborhoods and strengthening the city’s stance against ICE and ending its contract with Flock surveillance technology.
Monterey Park City Council District 5 encompasses neighborhoods in the eastern portion of the city. Kung lives in the district with his husband Jesse.
