# Peter Koo > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Peter_Koo > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Peter_Koo.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Koo > Source revision: 1349708974 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2019}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Peter Koo | native_name = {{nobold|顧雅明}} | native_name_lang = zh-hant | image = PeterKoo.jpg | image_size = | caption = Koo in 2008 | office = Member of the [New York City Council](/source/New_York_City_Council)
from the [20th](/source/New_York_City's_20th_City_Council_district) district | term_start = January 1, 2010 | term_end = December 31, 2021 | predecessor = [John Liu](/source/John_Liu) | successor = [Sandra Ung](/source/Sandra_Ung) | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|09|05|mf=yes}} | birth_place = [Shanghai](/source/Shanghai), China | death_date = | death_place = | party = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) (Prior to 2012)
[Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) (Since 2012) | spouse = Bernadette Ching Koo | children = 2 | alma_mater = New Mexico College of Pharmacy | website = [http://council.nyc.gov/d20/html/members/home.shtml Official website] }} {{Infobox Chinese |t=顧雅明 |s=顾雅明 |p=Gù Yǎmíng |j=gu3 ngaa5 ming4 }} '''Peter Ah-Ming Koo''' (born September 5, 1952){{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=190464|title=Our Campaigns – Candidate – Peter Koo|website=www.ourcampaigns.com|access-date=July 10, 2018}} is a Chinese American politician who represented the [20th district](/source/New_York_City's_20th_City_Council_district) of the [New York City Council](/source/New_York_City_Council) from 2010 to 2021. He is a [Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)). The district includes portions of [Bayside](/source/Bayside%2C_Queens), [College Point](/source/College_Point%2C_Queens), [Flushing](/source/Flushing%2C_Queens), [Flushing Meadows Corona Park](/source/Flushing_Meadows_Corona_Park), [Fresh Meadows](/source/Fresh_Meadows) and [Whitestone](/source/Whitestone%2C_Queens) in [Queens](/source/Queens). Koo and [Manhattan](/source/Manhattan) Council member [Margaret Chin](/source/Margaret_Chin) comprise the [Asian-American](/source/Asian-American) delegation of the council. ==Life and career== Koo is a [Chinese American](/source/Chinese_American) born in [Shanghai](/source/Shanghai) in 1952. Prior to immigrating to the United States in 1971, he lived in the former British Hong Kong. Graduating from the [University of New Mexico](/source/University_of_New_Mexico) College of Pharmacy in 1975 where he paid his way through by working minimum wage jobs at [Kentucky Fried Chicken](/source/Kentucky_Fried_Chicken) and [Dunkin' Donuts](/source/Dunkin'_Donuts), Koo is a [pharmacist](/source/pharmacist) who developed a five-store chain of pharmacies called Starside Drugs Pharmacy.{{cite news|url=http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2008/03/12/news/regional/northeast/news08.txt|title=Community activist Peter Koo challenges Stavisky|publisher=The Queens Courier|author=Victor G. Mimoni|date=March 12, 2008|accessdate=November 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716022117/http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2008/03/12/news/regional/northeast/news08.txt|archive-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=dead}} He has been a member of [Queens Community Board 7](/source/Queens_Community_Board_7). Previously, he unsuccessfully challenged local state senator [Toby Ann Stavisky](/source/Toby_Ann_Stavisky) in 2008.{{cite news|url=http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20383288&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574902&rfi=6|title=Can Republican Koo beat Flushing Dem?|author=Liz Rhoades|publisher=[Queens Chronicle](/source/Queens_Chronicle)|date=October 29, 2009|accessdate=November 20, 2009}}{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He has been called the "Mayor" of Flushing. In January 2012,{{cite news |url=http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120123/flushing/queens-city-councilman-peter-koo-defects-democrats |title=Queens City Councilman Peter Koo Defects to Democrats |work=DNAinfo |date=January 23, 2012 |accessdate=September 24, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925144337/http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120123/flushing/queens-city-councilman-peter-koo-defects-democrats |archivedate=September 25, 2015 }} Koo changed his party affiliation from [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) to Democratic.{{cite news| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/city-councilman-peter-koo-flushing-defect-democratic-party-article-1.1009456 | location=New York | work=Daily News | title=Queens Councilman Peter Koo flips from Republican to Democrat | first=Lisa L. | last=Colangelo | date=January 23, 2012}} In 2018, Koo proposed legislation before being term limited out of The New York City Council to ban smoking cigarettes while walking.https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/smoking-and-walking-ban-new-york-city-councilman-peter-koo/ ==New York City Council== Koo was elected to the city council seat on November 3, 2009, defeating [Democratic Party](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) nominee Yen Chou, [Working Families Party](/source/Working_Families_Party) nominee S.J. Jung, and [Green Party](/source/Green_Party_(United_States)) nominee Evergreen Chou. He assumed the position that was held by [John Liu](/source/John_Liu), the [New York City Comptroller](/source/New_York_City_Comptroller).{{cite news|url=http://www.boropolitics.com/stories/1/14/01_14_1104_chou_vs_koo_1.html|title=Republican Peter Koo defeats Chou in Flushing Council race|publisher=Boro Politics|author=Connor Adams Sheets|date=November 4, 2009|accessdate=November 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708084051/http://www.boropolitics.com/stories/1/14/01_14_1104_chou_vs_koo_1.html|archive-date=July 8, 2011|url-status=dead}} He was term limited out of office at the end of 2021. {| class="wikitable collapsible" |- valign=bottom ! colspan=4 | Election history |- valign=bottom ! Location ! Year ! Election ! Results |- ! [NY Senate
District 16](/source/New_York_Senate) | 2008 | {{party shading/hold}}|General | '''√ [Toby Ann Stavisky](/source/Toby_Ann_Stavisky) (D) 69.44%'''
Peter Koo (R) 30.56% |- ! [NYC Council
District 20](/source/New_York_City_Council) | 2009 | {{party{{cite web|title=New York Council|url=http://council.nyc.gov/d20/html/members/home.shtml|accessdate=December 13, 2016}} shading/hold}}|General | '''√ Peter Koo (R) 49.05%'''
Yen S. Chou (D) 45.24%
S.J. Jung (Working Families) 4.06%
Evergreen Chou (Green) 1.64% |- ! [NYC Council
District 20](/source/New_York_City_Council) | 2013 | {{party shading/hold}}|General | '''√ Peter Koo (D) 79.67%'''
Martha Flores-Vazqeuz (Jobs & Education) 10.38%
Sunny Hahn (Reform) 6.40%
Evergreen Chou (Green) 3.38% |- ! [NYC Council
District 20](/source/New_York_City_Council) | 2017 | {{party{{cite web|title=New York Council|url=http://council.nyc.gov/d20/html/members/home.shtml|accessdate=December 13, 2016}} shading/hold}}|Primary | '''√ Peter Koo 57.9%'''
Alison Tan 41.67% {{Cite web |last=Monteverdi |first=Suzanne |date=2017-09-13 |title=Incumbent Peter Koo wins Democratic primary for Flushing's Council District seat – QNS.com |url=https://qns.com/2017/09/incumbent-peter-koo-wins-democratic-primary-flushings-council-district-seat/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=qns.com |language=en-US}} |} Koo serves on the following New York City Council committees:{{Cite web|url=https://council.nyc.gov/district-20/|title=District 20|website=Peter Koo|language=en-US|access-date=April 25, 2018}} * Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing * Economic Development * Land Use ** Landmarks, Public Siting, and Maritime Uses (subcommittee of Land Use Committee) * Parks and Recreation * Technology (He serves as chair of this committee.) * Transportation Caucuses *Black, Latino/a, and Asian Caucus ==Personal life== Peter has been married for 26 years and has two children, a boy and a girl. ==See also== * [Hong Kong Americans in New York City](/source/Chinese_Americans_in_New_York_City) == References == {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://council.nyc.gov/d20/html/members/home.shtml Councilman Peter Koo (official site)] *[https://twitter.com/CMPeterKoo?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor @CMPeterKoo (official Twitter)] *[http://www.peterkoo.com/ Re-elect Peter Koo for City Council (campaign site)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302130535/http://www.peterkoo.com/ |date=March 2, 2021 }} {{S-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[John Liu](/source/John_Liu)}} {{s-ttl|title=[New York City Council](/source/New_York_City_Council), [20th district](/source/New_York_City's_20th_City_Council_district)|years=2010–2021}} {{s-aft|after=[Sandra Ung](/source/Sandra_Ung)}} {{S-end}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Koo, Peter}} Category:1952 births Category:21st-century New York (state) politicians Category:American businesspeople in retailing Category:American politicians of Chinese descent Category:Asian-American New York City Council members Category:Asian-American people in New York (state) politics Category:American businesspeople in the pharmaceutical industry Category:Chinese emigrants to the United States Category:Living people Category:Businesspeople from New York (state) Category:New York (state) Democrats Category:New York (state) Republicans Category:New York City Council members Category:Politicians from Queens, New York Category:Pharmacists from New York City Category:21st-century American pharmacists Category:Politicians from Shanghai Category:University of New Mexico alumni --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Peter Koo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Koo) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Koo?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.