Janet Q. Nguyen (born May 1, 1976) is an American
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
who serves in the
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
The A ...
. A
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, she represents the
72nd district, encompassing parts of northern coastal
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
which includes the cities of
Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 during the 2020 census, maki ...
,
Garden Grove,
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
,
Fountain Valley,
Seal Beach
Seal Beach is a coastal city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,242, up from 24,168 at the 2010 census.
Seal Beach is located in the westernmost corner of Orange County. To the northwest ...
,
Los Alamitos, and the unincorporated areas of
Midway City
Midway City is a census-designated place in the United States that forms part of the county land controlled by Orange County, California. The only area in Orange County that incorporates its chamber of commerce and homeowners association to act ...
and
Rossmoor.
Previously a member of the
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Cal ...
, she represented the
34th district, encompassing parts of
Long Beach
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
and
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
.
She is the first
Vietnamese-American
Vietnamese Americans ( vi, Người Mỹ gốc Việt, lit=Viet-origin American people) are Americans of Vietnamese ancestry. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American ethnic group after Chinese ...
state Senator in the United States and the country's first Vietnamese-American woman
state legislator
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Stat ...
.
Prior to being elected to the state Senate, she was an
Orange County Supervisor, representing the First District. At the age of 30, she was the youngest person to be elected to the board of supervisors, the first woman to be elected from the First District, and the first Vietnamese-American county supervisor in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
She won her supervisor seat following a historic special election where two
Vietnamese-American
Vietnamese Americans ( vi, Người Mỹ gốc Việt, lit=Viet-origin American people) are Americans of Vietnamese ancestry. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American ethnic group after Chinese ...
candidates received half of the total votes cast in a field of 10, separated from each other by only 7 votes. She was sworn in on March 27, 2007, after a lengthy court battle. She won a full, four-year term in 2008 in another historic election when all three major candidates were Vietnamese Americans. She was reelected to a third term in 2012. In a major upset, she was narrowly defeated by former Assemblyman
Tom Umberg
Thomas John Umberg (born September 25, 1955) is an American politician who serves in the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represents the 34th district, which encompasses parts of northern Orange County and a small portion of Long Beach. P ...
in the
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
elections.
Prior to her election to the Board of Supervisors, she served as a
Garden Grove City Council Member and at age 28, was the youngest person ever elected to that body, until Kim Nguyen (no relation) was elected at 25 in 2016.
Personal life
Nguyen was born in
Saigon
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
,
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
, on May 1, 1976, roughly one year after the
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon, also known as the Liberation of Saigon by North Vietnamese or Liberation of the South by the Vietnamese government, and known as Black April by anti-communist overseas Vietnamese was the capture of Saigon, the capital of ...
on April 30, 1975. Her family joined millions of others in becoming
boat people
Vietnamese boat people ( vi, Thuyền nhân Việt Nam), also known simply as boat people, refers to the refugees who fled Vietnam by boat and ship following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. This migration and humanitarian crisis was at its h ...
when she was five, coming to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
in 1981. They first lived in
San Bernardino
San Bernardino (; Spanish language, Spanish for Bernardino of Siena, "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a ...
, but settled in
Garden Grove in early 1990s. She attended the
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a public land-grant research university in Irvine, California. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, UCI offers 87 undergraduate degrees and 129 graduate and pr ...
, at first to become a
doctor
Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:
Personal titles
* Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree
* A medical practitioner, including:
** Physician
** Surgeon
** Dentist
** Veterinary physician
** Optometrist
*Other roles
** ...
but later majored in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
after she was inspired by then-Supervisor
Bill Steiner. She is married to Tom Bonikowski, Jr., with whom she has two sons, Thomas III and Timothy.
2007 special election
The election of Supervisor
Lou Correa
Jose Luis Correa ( ; born January 24, 1958) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2017. His district is based in Orange County and includes the communities of Anaheim and Santa Ana, as well as p ...
to the
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Cal ...
in the 2006 election left his supervisorial seat vacant. Ten candidates filed for the seat in the February 6, 2007 special election, including three Vietnamese Americans, who were all Republicans. While the 1st District Supervisorial seat is officially non-partisan, the leading candidate was
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
The A ...
man
Tom Umberg
Thomas John Umberg (born September 25, 1955) is an American politician who serves in the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represents the 34th district, which encompasses parts of northern Orange County and a small portion of Long Beach. P ...
(who had just left office two months before), a Democrat who had the full support of the labor unions. While the Republican Party did not officially endorse a candidate, most party leaders were backing
Santa Ana City Councilman Carlos Bustamante.
With three Vietnamese-American candidates, the large Vietnamese-American community who comprise a quarter of registered voters in the First District was galvanized. Janet Nguyen's main opponent,
Garden Grove Unified School District
The Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) is the 14th-largest school district in California. It includes boundaries in Anaheim, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Stanton, and Westminster.
The district includes forty ...
Trustee Trung Nguyen, had the support of State Assemblyman
Van Tran
Van Thai Tran ( vi, Trần Thái Văn; born October 19, 1964) is a Vietnamese American attorney and politician in California, formerly serving as a Republican member of the California State Assembly, representing portions of Orange County. Tran a ...
. Issues that the candidates discussed included
illegal immigration to the United States
Illegal immigration to the United States is the process of migrating into the United States in violation of federal immigration laws. This can include foreign nationals (aliens) who have entered the United States unlawfully, as well as thos ...
, one that county supervisors do not have the authority to affect.
The debate was particularly heated within the Vietnamese-American community, with accusations flying back and forth between the two Nguyen camps. Trung Nguyen was insulted as a "
fob" and his campaign photoshopped Trung Nguyen in a photo next to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger while Janet Nguyen was criticized for not being fluent in
Vietnamese
Vietnamese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia
** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam.
* Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam
** Overse ...
. Pundits speculated that the three Vietnamese-American candidates would split the Vietnamese-American vote, allowing Umberg to easily win the election.
With high absentee voter turnout among the Vietnamese-American community, it became clear on election night that Janet Nguyen and Trung Nguyen were leading. Umberg and Bustamante were in third and fourth place, respectively, and quickly conceded defeat. At the end of the night, Janet Nguyen was leading by 52 votes. However, when all the votes were counted on the following day, Trung Nguyen was leading by seven votes. Janet Nguyen requested a recount, and the final result was 10,919 votes for Janet Nguyen and 10,912 votes for Trung Nguyen. Janet Nguyen was certified the winner.
However, Trung Nguyen's lawyers filed a lawsuit challenging the recount, alleging that the Registrar of Voters improperly voided votes for him and awarded votes to Janet Nguyen in the recount. The Board of Supervisors postponed inaugurating Janet Nguyen pending the lawsuit. On March 26, she was named the winner, winning by just 3 votes. She was sworn into office on March 27, 2007.
After losing the lawsuit in the Orange County Superior Court, Trung Nguyen's lawyers filed an appeal to the
California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District, Division Three. The Court of Appeal ruled against Trung Nguyen and upheld the Superior Court's decision. Refusing to stop there, Trung Nguyen's lawyers filed an appeal to the
California Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacra ...
. The California Supreme Court denied to hear the appeal.
2008 election
While special elections for Orange County Supervisor are decided by
plurality vote
Plurality voting refers to electoral systems in which a candidate, or candidates, who poll more than any other counterpart (that is, receive a plurality), are elected. In systems based on single-member districts, it elects just one member per ...
, regular elections for Orange County Supervisor are decided by majority vote. Should no candidate capture a majority of the vote, then the top two candidates advance to a
run-off election
The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...
.
In light of her initial election's closeness in 2007, it was widely expected that Janet Nguyen would be forced into a November 2008 run-off election. However, Janet Nguyen won 56.6% of the vote in the June 2008 election, avoiding a November run-off.
Garden Grove Councilwoman Dina Nguyen, a fellow Republican who received the strong support of Assemblyman
Van Tran
Van Thai Tran ( vi, Trần Thái Văn; born October 19, 1964) is a Vietnamese American attorney and politician in California, formerly serving as a Republican member of the California State Assembly, representing portions of Orange County. Tran a ...
and his machine (including former candidate, Trung Nguyen), won only 27.7% of the vote while Democratic activist Hoa Van Tran won 15.7% of the vote.
2014 State Senate election
In 2014, incumbent Democratic state Senator
Lou Correa
Jose Luis Correa ( ; born January 24, 1958) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2017. His district is based in Orange County and includes the communities of Anaheim and Santa Ana, as well as p ...
was
term-limited
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of Term of office, terms an Incumbent, officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in Presidential system, presidential and semi-presidential system ...
, creating a vacancy. Republican leaders quickly rallied around Nguyen while the state Democratic establishment rallied around former state Assemblyman
Jose Solorio
Jose J. Solorio (born September 28, 1970) is an American politician from California. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 2006 as a Democrat. He represented the 69th Assembly District, which includes the city of Santa Ana and part ...
. The ensuing election was the most expensive in the state, and at times featured accusations and aggressive negative advertising. The vote was expected to be close, but Nguyen won the November election by a 58% to 42% margin, surprising even her fellow Republicans. She became the first State Senator of Vietnamese ancestry in American history.
Removal from California Senate floor
On February 23, 2017, Senator Nguyen was forcibly removed from the Senate floor during an attempt to criticize the late California Sen.
Tom Hayden
Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, authoring th ...
and called him a communist. She rose to criticize his stance as "an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War
homade celebrated trips to North Vietnam and Cambodia, offering to help broker a peaceful end." She spoke first in Vietnamese and then in English, all whilst repeatedly being told by presiding Sen.
Ricardo Lara
Ricardo Lara (born November 5, 1974) is an American politician who is currently serving as the 8th Insurance Commissioner of California. Lara was elected during the 2018 election, defeating former California insurance commissioner Steve Poizne ...
, D-Bell Gardens, that she was out of order. After she continued speaking her microphone was turned off. Senator Nguyen continued anyway, and Lara later ordered a sergeant-at-arms to escort her out of the room. The entire episode was caught on video, and elicited serious criticism from the Senate GOP Caucus, particularly in the shadow of a similar censure of U.S. Senator
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as a ...
during the confirmation hearings of
Jeff Sessions
Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (born December 24, 1946) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 84th United States Attorney General from 2017 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as United State ...
. For her actions the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' referred to Nguyen as "a rising Republican star", while the ''
Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' supported the actions of the legislative body to stop Nguyen from speaking.
2018 State Senate election
In 2018, Nguyen was challenged for re-election by
Democratic former
state Assemblyman Tom Umberg
Thomas John Umberg (born September 25, 1955) is an American politician who serves in the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represents the 34th district, which encompasses parts of northern Orange County and a small portion of Long Beach. P ...
. In a major
upset, Nguyen was narrowly defeated in the general election.
2020 State Assembly election
In 2020, Nguyen ran for the seat in California State Assembly's 72nd district. She placed first in the primary, helping unseat incumbent Republican
Tyler Diep
Tyler Diep is a Vietnamese-American politician who served one term in the California State Assembly. A Republican, he represented the 72nd Assembly District, which encompasses parts of northern coastal Orange County which includes the cities of ...
, who placed third and thus could not advance to the general election. In the general election, she defeated the Democrat,
Garden Grove City Council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
woman Diedre Nguyen (no relation) by 8%.
2022 State Senate election
On December 21, 2021, Nguyen announced that she would be a candidate for state Senate District 36, which is newly created.
Electoral history
*2007 Special Election for Orange County Supervisor, 1st District
**Janet Nguyen (R), 10,919 - 24.1%
**Trung Nguyen (R), 10,912 - 24.1%
**
Tom Umberg
Thomas John Umberg (born September 25, 1955) is an American politician who serves in the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represents the 34th district, which encompasses parts of northern Orange County and a small portion of Long Beach. P ...
(D), 9,725 - 21.4%
**Carlos Bustamante (R), 7,460 - 16.5%
**Mark Rosen (D), 2,181 - 4.8%
**Brett Elliott Franklin (R), 1,739 - 3.8%
**Kermit Marsh (R), 1,335 - 2.9%
**Larry Phan (R), 417 - 0.9%
**Lupe Moreno (R), 383 - 0.8%
**Benny Diaz (D), 273 - 0.6%
*2008 Election for Orange County Supervisor, 1st District
**Janet Nguyen (R), 21,350 - 56.6%
**Dina Nguyen (R), 10,465 - 27.7%
**Hoa Van Tran (D), 5,928 - 15.7%
*2012 Election for Orange County Supervisor, 1st District
**Janet Nguyen (R), 37,106 - 74.2%
**Steve Rocco (I), 12,902 - 25.8%
*2014 Primary Election for California State Senator, 34th District
**Janet Nguyen (R), 46,445 - 52.0%
**
Jose Solorio
Jose J. Solorio (born September 28, 1970) is an American politician from California. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 2006 as a Democrat. He represented the 69th Assembly District, which includes the city of Santa Ana and part ...
(D), 29,793 - 33.3%
**Long Pham (R), 13,102 - 14.7%
*2014 General Election for California State Senator, 34th District
**Janet Nguyen (R), 95,792 - 58.1%
**Jose Solorio (D), 69,220 - 41.9%
2018 California State Senate
2020 California State Assembly
References
External links
Official Campaign web siteOfficial State government web siteJoin California Janet Nguyen*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nguyen, Janet
1976 births
Republican Party California state senators
California city council members
Living people
Orange County Supervisors
People from Ho Chi Minh City
People from Garden Grove, California
University of California, Irvine alumni
Vietnamese emigrants to the United States
Vietnamese refugees
Women state legislators in California
American politicians of Vietnamese descent
American women of Vietnamese descent in politics
Women city councillors in California
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
Vietnamese anti-communists
Asian-American city council members
California politicians of Vietnamese descent
Asian conservatism in the United States