New York City-based Gramercy Surgery Center's CEO, Austin Cheng, has announced his bid for U.S. Congress for New York's 3rd Congressional District via a Sept. 27 LinkedIn post.
Mr. Cheng, a New York City native, is running as a Democrat to unseat incumbent Republican Rep. George Santos, who has been embroiled in several national scandals since taking office.
Despite calls to step down from the seat, Mr. Santos announced his intention to run again in April.
Mr. Cheng has already secured $600,000 to fund his campaign: $100,000 raised from donors and $500,000 in self-funding, according to a Sept. 27 report from QNS.
Three other Democrats and one other Republican candidate have also announced intentions to run for the seat. Mr. Cheng is currently the only Asian American in the race.
Mr. Cheng has experience in healthcare and as an attorney in the U.S. Army and as a federal prosecutor, according to his LinkedIn profile. According to the QNS report, he has a moderate stance on public safety, healthcare and cost of living issues. He is pro-choice and an advocate for immigration.
He is also championing healthcare reforms aimed at accessibility and affordability.
Mr. Cheng took over the New York ASC, founded by his late mother, in 2019 after she died from terminal illness.
"I inherited the responsibility and honor of leading the company in the weeks right before the pandemic hit and am proud of all the work our team has done since then to provide high quality, affordable healthcare to New Yorkers," he wrote in his LinkedIn post.
"I am running for United States Congress in the district where I grew up to make sure that, through common sense and practical solutions, we can continue to pass those dreams onto our children and our children's children," the post reads.