Anthony Hudson campaign photo (Source: Anthony Hudson For U.S. Congress on Facebook)

Michigan Republican congressional candidate Anthony Hudson posted a video where he opposed policies that would translate voter ballots into other languages, contending that someone needs to be able to speak English in order to vote. 

Hudson posted the video on TikTok last month in response to San Francisco appointing Chinese immigrant Kelly Wong to the city’s Elections Commission. Hudson falsely labeled Wong as an illegal immigrant before criticizing her idea to translate ballots for other non-English speaking immigrants. 

“You see, this is America, and we speak English,” Hudson said. “If you’re not a citizen, you don’t vote. And if you are an American citizen, you need to be able to speak English to be able to vote. We’re not going to waste taxpayer dollars on translations of our ballots. You need to learn how to speak in our language if you’re going to be a citizen of this country.”

As part of amendments to the 1965 Voting Rights Act, many jurisdictions are required to provide voting materials in different languages if they meet certain threshold specifications. State laws in California and Florida have strengthened voting laws to combat language barriers. 

Wong is a legal noncitizen with a visa who was born in Hong Kong and emigrated to the U.S. in 2019 to pursue graduate studies. She is legally allowed to serve on the San Francisco Elections Commission after the city approved a 2020 charter amendment which removed the citizenship requirement for city body positions. After attending graduate school at Tufts University, Wong worked for the nonprofit Chinese for Affirmative Action. Wong told KQED that she wants to increase civic engagement for San Francisco’s immigrants and non-English-speaking population. 

“Even though I’m fluent in English, I still encounter challenges in navigating a new system, let alone participating in political conversation and activities,” Wong said. “I’ve seen how language and cultural barriers prevent immigrants with limited English proficiency from fully exercising their right to vote. Is there a way to do voter outreach that is not just about translation but can touch on political education while maintaining neutrality and impartiality in elections?”

The 46-year-old Hudson is the owner of a trucking company outside of Flint, Mich. and he once planned to run for president. Now, he is seeking the Republican nomination for Michigan’s Eighth Congressional District, and he will appear on the state’s Aug. 6 GOP primary ballot. The seat is currently held by Rep. Dan Kildee (D) who is not seeking reelection. The race is one of two Michigan Congressional races currently designated as a toss-up.