Sunday evening at the J. Lieu Restaurant in Worthington, members of the Asian American Coalition of Ohio and the Ohio Chinese American Association came together to celebrate the electoral wins of Joycelyn Dong with Worthington City Council, Greg Lam with Dublin City Council, and Ajmeri Hoque with Franklin County Municipal Court.   

During the gathering, all three individuals expressed their gratitude for the community’s support and committed to working tirelessly across the aisles to assist not only immigrants but all community members in tackling issues such as affordability, public safety, and better community engagement. Furthermore, demonstrating transparency and accountability, and ensuring diverse representation to ensure fairness to all residents. 

Greg Lam, who will serve Ward 3, received 1386 to 1086 votes to defeat long-term incumbent John Reiner and will become the first Asian American and minority to serve in the Council for the city of Dublin, Ohio. Lam’s victory was also significant because the city has the highest percentage of Asian Americans in the State.  

Aside from his upcoming role on the city council, Lam is a cardiologist with Ohio Health’s Cardiometabolic Clinic and has received Top Doctor honors, according to an October 2025 Columbus Dispatch article. 

The city had four ward seats up for grabs. Lam secured Ward 3, while Amy Kramb defeated Pakistani-American Imran M. Malik to win Ward 1. In Ward 2, Wendy Johnson emerged victorious over Jean Philemond and Joy Kouns. Meanwhile, Cathy DeRosa claimed Ward 4 by defeating Kent A. Weakly.

“I ran to listen to the voices of the entire community, respect community traditions, but also bring in fresh perspectives and ideas. I learnt the importance of serving the community from my parents, so we spent countless hours volunteering at church, numerous hours working for the community associations, and my parents taught us the value of hard work,” Lam said on Sunday evening.  

The Worthington Council race featured five candidates, including Joycelyn Dong, who ran against incumbents Rebecca Hermann and David Robinson. On November 4, voters made their decision, and Joycelyn Dong, at just 28, became the youngest candidate to make history. Other winners that night included Maria Ramirez and Glen Pratt, while incumbent Rebecca Hermann also emerged victorious.

Dong, related to Jason Lieu of the J. Lieu Worthington restaurant, believes that while Worthington is a great place to live, affordability is a significant issue for older residents. She emphasizes the need for safety for both youth and seniors and aims to listen to all community voices, including those of the Hispanic community concerned about immigration uncertainty.

Among the elected officials present was State Senator Dr. Beth Laison, who represents Ohio’s 16th district, which includes the cities of Worthington and Dublin, where both Lam and Dong will serve. Indian-American Dr. Anita Somani, a physician and former director of the Ohio Department of Health, also spoke at the event. She praised both candidates for their historic victory and expressed her commitment to collaborating with them on projects that will benefit both cities. 

Worthington Council President Rachael Dorothy and Amy Lloyd were also present to show their support for their soon-to-be colleague.

Dwaryn Allen, an educator and Drone Instructor, shared his thoughts on the evening: 

Joycelyn’s perspectives as a 28-year-old young adult were refreshing when advocating for more young adults to work together, regardless of whose community is under targeted harassment. Dr. Lam was equally clear in expressing to everyone the importance of active collective community participation at all levels of our communities. 

Communities build with intentional, authentic relationships and authentic interactions that grow mutual trust and foster stakeholder mentoring. 

The AACO and OCAA empower AANHPI communities through education, engagement, and voter registration events, promoting diversity and social justice. The election of Joycelyn Dong and Greg Lam is a milestone, reflecting the community’s growing influence and the organizations’ efforts to increase representation.

Lam & Dong will begin their terms in January of 2026; the municipal judge-elect, Hoque, will also start in January. 

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