In his three short decades of life, Ramey Ko has dashed like a racehorse to the front of Democratic politics and Asian American causes. The Carrollton, Texas, native zipped through Yale to earn a degree in history and then galloped through the University of Chicago Law School. Since 2010, he has served as an Associate Municipal Judge, a position appointed by the Austin City Council.

An electric spark of energy and intellect, Ko is active in about a dozen progressive groups, but he is perhaps most focused on the Capital Area Asian American Democrats, of which he is president. Nationally he works with Asian Pacific Americans for Progress and is one of only 20 people in the country appointed by President Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. And yes, he has met with the President in that capacity.

The young judge’s road to Asian American advocacy had a few right-hand turns along the way, but he has now firmly established himself in the Democratic Party. If you don’t know Ko, you’re not paying attention.

QUESTION: Tell us about the Asian American population growth in Travis County and how that impacts elections.

KO: As of 2010, the Asian American population in Austin was at 6.3 percent. That’s a huge increase because Austin has not been one of the heavily Asian American areas in Texas. Houston is No. 1 and Dallas is No. 2. Since 2000, there’s been an explosive growth here, and within the city limits, we are a higher percentage than Dallas.

QUESTION: How is the turnout for Asian-American voters here?

KO: It’s hard to know, because there isn’t good data on a lot of this stuff. The studies tend to be focused on population centers like Houston and Dallas. Over half of Asian Americans are foreign-born, so a significant chunk of them are not citizens yet. Only about half of eligible Asian American voters are registered, although it’s better here because our population is more educated and professional. We do know that registered Asian American voters tend to vote at a very high rate, so it’s undoubtedly true that this growth is having an impact on politics.

QUESTION: This should be a golden opportunity for Democrats, right?

KO: I would like to emphasize that even though Asian Americans have been voting more Democratic than Republican, that allegiance is a soft allegiance. Neither party has successfully captured the imagination and loyalty of Asian Americans. Until the early ‘90s, about a third were Democrats, a third were Republicans and a third were independents. With Clinton’s election, those numbers started to shift, and in the past decade, it has shifted dramatically to the Democratic Party. Democrats really need to take advantage of this chance while Republicans are sleeping at the wheel. The encouraging thing is the young population. In a Gallup Poll last year, Asian Americans were the only group of young adults in which liberals exceed conservatives.

QUESTION: Are there issues that are of particular interest to Asian Americans?

KO: In the ’08 exit polls, the order of priority for issues among Asian Americans was exactly the same as for white voters. The economy and jobs were No. 1, with things like health care and other things next. Immigration rates a little more intensely because it’s been in the forefront in recent years.

QUESTION: How did you become interested in politics?

KO: I always had an interest in politics. My first political act was writing a letter to George H.W. Bush asking him to do more about the environment. I was more interested in issues than electoral things, but I started voting as soon as I could. I was active in party politics in ’04 as a volunteer for Howard Dean’s campaign. That’s when I learned about on-the-ground, grassroots electoral politics. And I volunteered for Obama’s U.S. Senate campaign in ’04.

QUESTION: So, you’ve always been progressive?

KO: (Laughing) In my teens, I would say I was a hard right-winger! I listened to Rush Limbaugh and went to a fundamentalist church. But when I was on the debate team in high school, I changed my mind because I was exposed to more ideas. I credit “Star Trek” for my liberal values!

QUESTION: What are your political goals? Is there a campaign in your future?

KO: I’ll stay in the judicial game for now. Maybe down the line I might want to run for judicial office. But I also recognize the advocate side of me. I won’t be able to sit still forever, so I’d like to consider other positions — maybe the legislature. Attorney General of Texas wouldn’t be bad either!

QUESTION: Sounds like you want to stay in Austin.

KO: Austin is my home. I moved around a lot in my 20s, but I’ve found my soul here.