What Political Party Is Eileen Wang? Arcadia Mayor Resigns Amid China Agent Controversy
Federal prosecutors say Eileen Wang worked with Chinese officials years before becoming Arcadia’s mayor.
Published May 12 2026, 12:00 p.m. ET
The drama involving former Arcadia mayor Eileen Wang has exploded, and now folks are digging into her political party and background. The former Arcadia mayor agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government, turning a local political figure into the center of a major federal case.
Eileen served on the Arcadia City Council after winning the election in November 2022. Arcadia does not elect its mayor through a separate citywide race. Instead, the five-member City Council selects the mayor on a rotating basis, according to the Department of Justice. Eileen became mayor in February and resigned from both the mayor’s office and the City Council on May 11 after the federal case became public. Now, many people are taking a closer look at her political background and party affiliation.
What is Eileen Wang’s political party?
Eileen’s 2022 Arcadia City Council race appeared on Los Angeles County election results with “(N)” next to her name, meaning the local race was listed as nonpartisan. She won the District 3 seat with 1,236 votes, or 64.21 percent of the vote. However, Eileen later told the Los Angeles Times that she previously voted Republican and switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party during her 2022 campaign. She said voters’ housing concerns, including rental assistance, helped sway her left.
In a 2022 campaign piece, Eileen described herself as a community leader and educator. She said she spent 17 years involved in community service and worked with organizations including the Arcadia Rotary Club, Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, Arcadia Lions Club, Arcadia Association of Realtors, and Arcadia High School Chinese Parents Booster Club.
“I am Eileen Wang, a longtime Arcadia resident, community leader and educator, and I’m running for Arcadia’s City Council District 3 to bring a stronger voice to the public concerns I’ve seen and heard over my 17 years of community service,” she wrote. “I have been deeply involved as a leader in various city and service groups.”
Why was the Arcadia mayor charged?
Federal prosecutors charged Eileen with one felony count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign government. The DOJ said Eileen agreed to plead guilty, and the charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the DOJ, Eileen and Yaoning “Mike” Sun worked under the direction and control of officials from the People’s Republic of China from late 2020 through 2022. Prosecutors said they promoted pro-PRC propaganda in the United States through a website called U.S. News Center, which targeted the Chinese American community.
The case gets even messier because Mike was not just some random associate. He was Eileen’s former fiancé and campaign treasurer, according to the AP. Mike is already serving a four-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in October 2025 to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.