Editing Wing Luke (section)

== Legal and political career ==
[[File:Wing Luke Ramp Opening.jpg|thumb|Wing Luke opening a ramp between Jackson and Main in 1957.]]
Luke was appointed Assistant Attorney General of the State of Washington, in the Civil Rights Division and served in that capacity from 1957 to 1962.<ref name="Historylinkbio" /><ref name="McKowen" /> In 1962, Luke decided to run for an open seat on the [[Seattle City Council]].<ref name="Historylinkbio" /> Running on the slogan "You are not electing a platform, but a Councilman," Luke maintained a pragmatic position on the issues and proved successful at mobilizing young volunteers.<ref name="Historylinkbio" /><ref name="McKowen" /> Despite having to defend against criticism of "fence sitting,"{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}} accusations of [[communism]],<ref name="Historylinkbio" /> and [[racial slurs]],{{Citation needed|date=September 2015}} Luke won the council seat with a landslide of 30,000 votes and was sworn in on March 13, 1962. He became the first Asian American to hold elected office in the Pacific Northwest as well as the first [[person of color]] to hold a Seattle City Council seat.<ref name="namesake">{{cite web |title=About Us |url=http://www.wingluke.org/about |accessdate=2015-09-20 |work=Learn |publisher=Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience}}</ref>

As a Councilmember, Luke focused on urban renewal, historical preservation, and civil rights. The latter focus proved controversial, and Luke's open-housing ordinance (created to prevent discrimination in the sale or rent of Seattle real estate) faced heavy resistance, though it eventually passed. For support in his community renewal efforts, Luke turned to a variety of local organizations he was active in, such as the [[National Urban League|Urban League]], the Chinese Community Service Organization, the [[Japanese American Citizens League]], and the Jackson Street Community Council.<ref name="Historylinkbio" /><ref name="seattle times museum" />

Generally diplomatic and optimistic in his approach, Luke was notably skilled at appealing to diverse communities, having once learned to sing [[Norway|Norway's]] entire [[Ja, vi elsker dette landet|national anthem]] in preparation for an address to the local Norwegian community. His political successes and general popularity led to speculation over a potential congressional or mayoral run.<ref name="Historylinkbio" /><ref name="seattle times museum" />