An ex-judge from mainland China is set to take Macao’s top job. What’s at stake for the casino hub?

MACAO (AP) — Some 400 pro-establishment electors are set to approve the sole candidate for Macao’s chief executive job on Sunday, making him the Chinese casino hub ’s first leader born in mainland China.

It’s a break from the longtime practice of choosing locally-born leaders, usually from prominent business families, for the former Portuguese colony.

Nearly the entire election committee — 386 of 400 members — have nominated Sam Hou Fai, the territory’s longtime chief judge, for the Oct. 13 vote.

Local political observers say many Macao residents appear indifferent to Sam’s origins. Some see elections as having little to do with them, since the vast majority of the territory’s 687,000 people cannot vote. Still, it remains to be seen whether the former judge can diversify the gaming-reliant economy, a key goal highlighted by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Here’s what you need to know:

Who is Sam Hou Fai?

Sam, 62, was born in neighboring Guangdong province in 1962. He graduated from the prestigious law school of Peking University in Beijing. He also studied the Portuguese language, culture and law at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, and once practiced law in mainland China.

Sam moved to Macao in the 1980s. While his official resume does not give a reason, former pro-democracy lawmaker Au Kam San said Sam was an official sent by China to Macao to research the city’s law. Sam took judicial courses in the then-colony and later became a judge.

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