---
title: "1 Ran Congress Quotes By Mark Takano"
description: "1 Ran Congress quotes by Mark Takano. Plus more from Mark Takano and more Ran Congress sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77c/mark-takano-34553_asian_when-i-first-ran-for-congress-in-the-199_3195636.jpg"
---

> [When I first ran for Congress in the 1990s, my background as an openly gay Asian was one of the focal points of the campaign, and, in fact, my opponent attacked me for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/when-i-first-ran-for-congress-in-the-1990s-my-background-as-an-openly/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77c/mark-takano-34553_asian_when-i-first-ran-for-congress-in-the-199_3195636.jpg)

## More by Mark Takano

> [The fact that, for so many generations, ordinary, everyday Americans came out of the closet and told their family and friends about who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/the-fact-that-for-so-many-generations-ordinary-everyday-americans/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [I hope that by just being a competent member and expressing informed views on issues that aren't related to issues of LGBT equality, Republicans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/i-hope-that-by-just-being-a-competent-member-and-expressing-informed/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [I taught high school English for 24 years. I always teach my students to appreciate the beauty of language and to write poetically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/i-taught-high-school-english-for-24-years-i-always-teach-my-students/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [Those life experiences that helped shaped my political beliefs are with me in every position I take and every vote that I cast -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/those-life-experiences-that-helped-shaped-my-political-beliefs-are/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [Every member of Congress is sent to Washington to represent all of their constituents, regardless of their age, race, social standing, or sexual orientation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/every-member-of-congress-is-sent-to-washington-to-represent-all-of/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [As someone who is both an ethnic minority and openly gay, I often talk about how simply being who I am has given me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/as-someone-who-is-both-an-ethnic-minority-and-openly-gay-i-often-talk/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [It's common sense to be for middle-class tax cuts and tax cuts on small businesses, to be for not allowing Medicare to be turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/it-s-common-sense-to-be-for-middle-class-tax-cuts-and-tax-cuts-on/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [You cant not be changed by the experience of seeing extreme poverty. You start to want to think about ways in which you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/you-cant-not-be-changed-by-the-experience-of-seeing-extreme-poverty/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [Interracial marriages were basically legalized, but nevertheless, there was a social stigma attached to them for a long time to come. I imagine that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/interracial-marriages-were-basically-legalized-but-nevertheless-there/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [The model that I'd always seen as a little boy, as a teenager, as I watched other political careers, I saw people who'd start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/the-model-that-i-d-always-seen-as-a-little-boy-as-a-teenager-as-i/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [We, as Americans, do our level best to avoid being cruel to one another; we're led out of a diverse nation to come together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/we-as-americans-do-our-level-best-to-avoid-being-cruel-to-one-another/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [I think it is important for someone like me to not run away from who I am but embrace it. LGBT people across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/i-think-it-is-important-for-someone-like-me-to-not-run-away-from-who/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [I think most polling shows that most Americans agree that when it comes to employment that, you know, people should be really judged by,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/i-think-most-polling-shows-that-most-americans-agree-that-when-it/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

> [When I first ran for Congress in the 1990s, my background as an openly gay Asian was one of the focal points of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/when-i-first-ran-for-congress-in-the-1990s-my-background-as-an-openly/)

[Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ran-congress/mark-takano/#itemlist",
            "name": "1 Ran Congress Quotes By Mark Takano",
            "numberOfItems": 1,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "When I first ran for Congress in the 1990s, my background as an openly gay Asian was one of the focal points of the campaign, and, in fact, my opponent attacked me for it.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Mark Takano"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/when-i-first-ran-for-congress-in-the-1990s-my-background-as-an-openly/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77c/mark-takano-34553_asian_when-i-first-ran-for-congress-in-the-199_3195636.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77c/mark-takano-34553_asian_when-i-first-ran-for-congress-in-the-199_3195636.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77c/mark-takano-34553_asian_when-i-first-ran-for-congress-in-the-199_3195636.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“When I first ran for Congress in the 1990s, my background as an openly gay Asian was one of the focal points…” — Mark Takano",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ran-congress/mark-takano/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ran-congress/mark-takano/",
            "name": "Ran Congress Quotes by Mark Takano",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ran-congress/mark-takano/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77c/mark-takano-34553_asian_when-i-first-ran-for-congress-in-the-199_3195636.jpg"
            },
            "description": "1 Ran Congress quotes by Mark Takano. Plus more from Mark Takano and more Ran Congress sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ran-congress/mark-takano/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ran-congress/mark-takano/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Ran Congress",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ran-congress/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Mark Takano",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ran-congress/mark-takano/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```