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Ronald Joseph Lin was born in Hoboken in 1981. His immigrant parents had arrived from Taiwan a year earlier and decided thatto honor America, they would name their new son after then-President Ronald Reagan.

Asian immigrantsrevere authority figures, Lin said, and his parents thought what better way to celebrate being an American than naming their first born after the nation's top office holder.As Taiwanese immigrants, his parents also appreciated Reagan's traditional values, headded.

When Lin'sson was born last June, he knew he had to name him Donald after the Republican then in the White House, Donald Trump.

Republican Ronald Lin is running for Bergen County Commissioner and says he's the first Asian American candidate for the county board. "Asian values are very conservative," he said.(Photo: Mary Chao)

A staunch conservative since his days on the debate team at Fair Lawn High School, Lin, 39, of Franklin Lakes,announcedhis candidacy in February for Bergen County commissioner as a Republican. Alawyer who works asan adjunct professor at two universities in China, Lin said he is the first countywide candidate of Asian descent in a county where 17%of thepopulationidentifies as Asian.

"The current state of county one-party rule is wrong,"said Lin, adding he is running because he believes that a two-party checks-and-balance system is the best way to govern.

Lin is entering the racein a decidedly blue county.The sevencounty commissioners are all Democratic and Democratic voters vastly outnumber Republicans in the county. Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential electionin Bergen County,58% to 41% for Trump.

Asian Americans followed suit, casting 67% of their ballots for Biden and running mate Kamala Harris, whose mother is from India.

Still, Trump made surprising headway among Latino voters and had modest gains among African Americans as well, according to a review of the 2020 vote by data analysis groupCatalist. Lin is yet anther reminder that communities of color are far from monolithic when it comes to culture and politics.

"Asian values are very conservative," he said.

The seven members of the Bergen County Board of commissioners are elected at-large to three-year, staggered terms. They take office early in January, following the November election.

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There are two seats on the ballot in November. Democratic incumbents Steven Tanelli, the board chairman, and Tracy S. Zur will face Lin and Republican running mate Tim Walsh.

If elected, Lin said he would restore fiscal responsibility to county government.

"I would provide a sense of oversight and accountability," Lin said.

A commissioner is a legislator on the county level.The commissioners act as the county's legislative body, much as the U.S. Congress or the state Legislature, giving advice and consent to the actions of the county executive.

Lin has lived in Bergen County for the past 30 years. His father Jui-Ho worked as a data analystfor Citigroup while his mother Meili was a homemaker. His younger brother George is a news analyst at NBC network.

Lin now lives in Franklin Lakes with his wife Ivy and his son Donald. He teaches part-time remotely for Shanghai University of Political Science and Law and Zhejiang University. He's passedup full-time opportunities in China to live in New Jersey, he said.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial group in the country, according to the non-profit APIA Vote.In the 2020 Asian American Voter Survey of 1,569 Asian American registered voters, majorities of Asian American registered voters said they would support Democratic over Republican candidates in House and Senate races.

If you don't get involved, you're excluded.

There is a generation gap when it comes to politics in Asian families, said Daniel Park, a Democratic councilman in Tenafly. The younger generation tend tohave more progressive values while the older generation is more conservative politically, Park said.

Lin said he grew up in a family that instilled in him the power of self-reliance. His family believes in law and order, which he described as atraditional Republican value.

Lin is a supporter of Donald Trump and said America did well thanks to his trade policies. He believes that media is biased againstTrump. Linhas attended two to three Trump rallies which have been peaceful gatherings, he said.

Lin does not believe Trump incited rioters during the January storming of the Capitol.

"The storming of the Capitol on January 6th was an unfortunate and tragic occurrence and it's something that I condemn sharply," he said. "I don't think any sensible person would condone such behavior and it's certainly something that the Republican Party along with President Trump strongly decried. The reality of the matter is that President Trump was telling his supporters that day to march and protest patriotically and peacefully."

Lin said while it is a hard truth to swallow, Trump lost the election.

"Biden won the presidency with over 81 million votes which is the most in history, all while campaigning from his basement," he said. "Nevertheless, we accept the outcome of the 2020 election because that's what we do as Republicans and patriotic Americans. We don't whine and moan and carry out a three-year long vindictive witch hunt against a president we didn't want. Instead, we lick our wounds, get back up and we'll right this wrong in the coming years."

Bergen County Republican chairman Jack Zisa welcomedLin to the slate of Republican candidates. With the county's large Asian population, it's important for the group to see representation, he said.

"Republicans are far more inclusive than what the media wants to portray," Zisa said.

Park said diversity and inclusivity are core values in the Democratic party. The party is always consciously seeking candidates of color, aware of the need for representation. He was recruited to run for Tenafly Council after volunteering on the 2012 Obama campaign and has since recruited other Korean Americans to run for local office.

The Asian culture instills humility, so many in the community arereticent to get involved in politics, Lin said. He's trying to change that reluctance.

"If you don't get involved, you're excluded," he said.

A 2018 survey of Asian Americans in New Jersey found the economy and healthcare were the community's top concerns, followed by education, gun control and national security. Thesurvey was conducted by Jersey Promise, a nonprofitpolicy and advocacy group serving Asian Americans.

While a commissioner would not decide on issues such as gun control, Lin has been asked where he stands on the issue onthe campaign trail. When he recently told a voter that he supports the right the bear arms, that voter disagreed, he said.

In politics, Lin said, "you have to have thick skin."

Mary Chao covers the Asian community andreal estate for NorthJersey.com.To get unlimited access to the latest news out of North Jersey,please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email:mchao@northjersey.com

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This Trump-loving Republican wants to be the first Asian American on Bergen County board - NorthJersey.com