By Karen Holzmeister, STAFF WRITER
Inside Bay Area

December 6, 2006

SACRAMENTO - From Seoul to Sacramento pretty much sums up Mary Hayashi's extraordinary journey thus far.

But it doesn't begin to describe all the stops that culminated Monday when Hayashi was sworn in as the 18th Assembly District's newest representative.

Following a hard-fought primary battle and a less heated general election campaign, Democrat Hayashi was elected in November to replace outgoing Assemblyman Johan Klehs.

Castro Valley resident Hayashi represents Ashland, Cherryland, Hayward, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Dublin and most of Castro Valley and Pleasanton.

Concurrently, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nez named Hayashi as one of two Asian-American women to top posts in the Assembly's Democratic Caucus.

Newly elected Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, will serve as majority whip. Hayashi is the new assistant majority whip.

Hayashi described this legislative role as guiding major pieces of legislation and promoting party unity in voting. She said her top goal is to ensure adequate and affordable health care for Californians.

"For the past 15 years, I have dedicated my life to addressing a broad range of health care issues," she said. "Today, access to quality health care is one of the most important problems facing California. This is especially true for the estimated 6million residents — including over 1million children — who lack adequate health care coverage."

Hayashi, who as a child emigrated from South Korea with her family, founded the National Asian Women's Health Organization and the Iris Alliance Fund, the latter organization dealing with mental health issues.

She also has served on several state, national and community boards and commissions, many of them dealing with public health, nursing and cancer issues.

Hayashi also authored "Far From Home," an account of growing up in South Korea and coming to America.

To contact Hayashi, visit http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a18/, call (510) 583-8818, or visit her district office at 22320 Foothill Blvd., suite 540, Hayward.