Laura Wong

'''Laura Jane ???? Wong''' (b. April 3, 1965) is a Georgeland Liberal Democratic politician. Since 2004, Wong has been the Borough President of Garretty Island in the city of Santa Christina. On March 13, 2008, Wong was formally adopted as the Liberal Democratic candidate for Mayor of Santa Christina in the upcoming election, to be held on June 30. Wong is the first person of Chinese background to run for Mayor of Santa Christina. If elected, she would be the country's second mayor of Chinese background, after Joan Linn of Huzzah. The daughter of two Chinese immigrants, Wong was born in Northbay and has lived in Santa Christina for her entire life. She was educated at a number of different public schools. Her father was a teacher and her mother ran a Chinese restaurant in Birmingham; her father, on his retirement, jointly ran the restaurant with Wong's mother and two brothers. In 1983 Wong entered the University of Santa Christina where she studied to be a nurse. In 1985, however, she withdrew from study in order to work full-time. She began working for the state Community Services department, where she stayed until 1992, when she left the civil service and began working for NorthCare, a community-based care organisation operating in the city's northern suburbs. In 1996 she was made Assistant Director of the organisation and took over as Director of NorthCare in 2000. The following year she was elected to the Borough Council of Garretty Island, where she has lived since 1994. While on the Council, Wong continued to work full-time for NorthCare until she resigned in 2002 following a conflict with the governing board. Wong had joined the Labour Party at university but left it to enter the civil service. She rejoined the party in 1995 and campaigned for Campbell Rhodes, whom she had met several times. In 1999, when the Labour Party split, Wong resigned her party membershiip and won election to the Borough Council as an Independent, though she worked strongly with Liberal and Democratic members. In 2004, with the formation of the Liberal Democratic Party, Wong joined the new party and shortly thereafter was adopted as its candidate for Garretty Island's Borough Presidency. The election was described by the media as "a formality", as the borough's presidency and council have not been controlled by the Conservative Party since 1980. Wong has been a popular and visible Borough President who has strong links with the Borough's large and influential Chinese community. Wong's most significant achievement in office was lobbying the City Council for an increase in the annual Transportation Allotment, which the Borough Council authorised be used to upgrade and maintain the Garretty Island Monorail. Wong has also been a strong supporter of the Garretty Island Science Centre and has authorised Borough Council funding to support the Centre, which also recieves funds from the city, state and federal governments. In early 2008, Wong announced she would be a candidate for Mayor of Santa Christina. Her candidacy was endorsed by several high-profile city councillors, two former Mayors and, significantly, Campbell Rhodes. It was reported that Rhodes' presidential campaign team were also mobilising in Santa Christina on Wong's behalf. Wong was expected to face a tough contest for the LDP's nomination - however, on 12th March she was chosen by party members with almost 57% of the vote. Her rivals for the nomination were Gary St. John and Matthew Wiley. Wong represents the Broad Left faction of the Liberal Democratic Party. Wong is not married but has lived with her partner, lawyer David Owens, since 2000.