John Lee secures nominations for Hong Kong leadership race

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s former No. 2 official John Lee has formally registered his candidacy in the election for the top job after securing 786 nominations to enter the race. Lee is the only candidate formally entered so far for the May 8 vote. He is considered Beijing’s favored candidate and a sign of the central government further tightening its control over the territory. Lee’s nominations are well over 50% of the 1,454-member Election Committee that will select the next chief executive. The nomination period ends Saturday. Current Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam is not seeking a second term, following a rocky five years in power that spanned the COVID-19 pandemic, a crackdown on political freedoms and Beijing’s rapid and growing influence over the territory.