Allan Fung facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Allan Fung
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Fung in 2016
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| Mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island | |||||||
| In office January 5, 2009 – January 4, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Michael Napolitano | ||||||
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Hopkins | ||||||
| Personal details | |||||||
| Born |
Allan Wai-Ket Fung
February 25, 1970 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
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| Political party | Republican | ||||||
| Spouse |
Barbara Fenton
(m. 2016) |
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| Education | Rhode Island College (BA) Suffolk University (JD) |
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| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 馮偉傑 | ||||||
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Allan Wai-Ket Fung (born February 25, 1970) is an American lawyer and politician. He was the Mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island, from 2009 to 2021. He also ran for Governor of Rhode Island in 2014 and 2018. In 2022, he was a candidate for the U.S. representative for Rhode Island's 2nd district.
When he was elected mayor in 2008, Fung became the first mayor of Chinese background in Rhode Island. Before becoming mayor, he worked as a state prosecutor. He also served on the Cranston City Council.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Allan W. Fung (Chinese: 馮偉傑) was born on February 25, 1970, in Providence, Rhode Island. He is the oldest of three children. His parents were Chinese immigrants from British Hong Kong. They moved to Rhode Island in 1969. His family owned a restaurant in Cranston, Rhode Island.
Fung finished high school at Classical High School in Providence in 1988. He then went to Rhode Island College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1992. In 1995, he earned a law degree (called a Juris Doctor) from Suffolk University Law School. In 2009, his old high school gave him a special award for being a distinguished former student.
Public Service Career
Before becoming mayor, Allan Fung worked as a prosecutor for the Rhode Island Attorney General from 1999 to 2001. A prosecutor is a lawyer who works for the government to bring legal cases against people accused of crimes. From 2001 to 2009, he worked as a lawyer for a large insurance company, helping with government rules.
In 2003, he was elected to the Cranston City Council. The City Council helps make decisions for the city. He was honored as a Rhode Island Bar Foundation Fellow in 2004. He was also recognized as one of Providence Business News's "40 Under Forty" young leaders. From 2005 to 2008, Fung was the chairman of the Rhode Island Governor's Insurance Council.
As a member of the Republican Party, he was elected mayor of Cranston in November 2008. He won against Cynthia M. Fogarty with 63% of the votes. This made him the first Chinese American mayor in Rhode Island. He had run for mayor before in 2006 but lost by a small number of votes.
Fung was re-elected as mayor in 2010 and again in 2012. In 2016, he won his fourth term as Cranston mayor by a large margin.
Under Mayor Fung's leadership, Cranston was named one of the "Top 50 Cities to Live in America" for three years in a row. It was also called one of the "Top 100 Best Cities to Raise A Child" in 2017.
Because of rules about how many terms a mayor can serve, Fung could not run for mayor again in 2020. He supported Kenneth Hopkins, who won the election.
Running for Governor
2014 Election
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In November 2013, Fung announced he would run for Governor of Rhode Island. Many important Republicans supported him, including former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. On September 9, 2014, Fung won the Republican primary election. However, he lost the main election to Democrat Gina Raimondo.
2018 Election
In October 2017, Fung announced he would run for governor again. He won the Republican nomination once more. But he lost the general election to Gina Raimondo again.
Running for U.S. House of Representatives
In February 2022, Fung announced he would run for the United States House of Representatives. This is a part of the U.S. Congress. He ran for the seat in Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district. He won the Republican nomination without anyone running against him. However, he lost the main election to Democrat Seth Magaziner.
Political Ideas
Fung describes himself as a "Rhode Island Republican." This means he is a moderate Republican, but he believes in being careful with money (fiscally conservative). He says he is a pragmatist, which means he focuses on practical solutions. He also tries to work with people from different political parties.
Money and Taxes
Fung believes in being fiscally conservative. This means he thinks the government should spend money wisely and keep taxes low. He said he had to raise taxes in Cranston during his first three years as mayor because of money problems. But he did not raise taxes during his last three years.
When he ran for governor, he promised to lower the sales tax in Rhode Island. He also supported making Rhode Island a "right-to-work" state. This means workers don't have to join a union to get a job. He also changed some city employees from public retirement plans to private ones.
Fung believes in supporting different types of schools, like charter schools. He also wants to give more money to technical education. This type of education teaches skills for specific jobs.
Immigration
Fung did not support President Donald Trump's travel ban in 2017. He supports DACA. This program helps young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. He also supported a bill that would have made border security stronger and offered a way for some undocumented immigrants to become legal residents. However, Fung does not support giving drivers' licenses to undocumented immigrants. He also does not support sanctuary cities, which are cities that limit their cooperation with national immigration enforcement.
Personal Life
Allan Fung met Barbara Ann Fenton, who is a physical therapist, in 2012. They got married in the summer of 2016. Before their wedding, Fung became a Catholic.
Images for kids
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Fung honors Cranston resident Olivia Culpo with a key to the City, after her coronation as Miss USA 2012.
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Fung marched in the 2016 Bristol Fourth of July Parade with his wife Barbara Ann Fenton.
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Fung in 2014.
See Also
- List of mayors of Cranston, Rhode Island
