Vincent Karchi "Vince" Fong (born October 24, 1979) is an American politician serving in the California State Assembly. He is a Republican representing the 34th district, encompassing the southern San Joaquin Valley including much of Kern County encompassing the

Tehachapi Mountains The Tehachapi Mountains (; Kawaiisu: ''Tihachipia'', meaning "hard climb") are a mountain range in the Transverse Ranges system of California in the Western United States. The range extends for approximately in southern Kern County and northwe ...

, the southern Sierra Nevada, and the northwestern

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily ...

. It is anchored by the city of Bakersfield. Prior to his election to the Assembly in 2016, Fong served as District Director to Minority Leader and Congressman

Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician, serving as House Minority Leader in the United States House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as House Majority Leader under spea ...

. Fong was re-elected in 2018.

Early life

Vince Fong was born in Bakersfield, California. Fong graduated from West High School.

Education

In 2001, Fong earned a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

degree 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 ...

and Government from

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

. In 2003, Fong earned a

MPA MPA or mPa may refer to: Academia Academic degrees * Master of Performing Arts * Master of Professional Accountancy * Master of Public Administration * Master of Public Affairs Schools * Mesa Preparatory Academy * Morgan Park Academy * Mou ...

degree in Public Affairs from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

Career

Fong started his career as an aide for Congressman Bill Thomas, who at the time was chair of the Ways and Means Committee. In Thomas's office, Fong focused on international trade policy and opening up markets for United States farmers and small businesses. Fong then returned home to serve the residents of Kern County. For nearly a decade, he served as the District Director to House Minority Leader and Congressman

. Fong has been active in Kern County nonprofits and community organizations. He has served as a board member for

Goodwill Industries Goodwill Industries International Inc., often shortened in speech and writing to Goodwill (stylized as goodwill), is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides job training, employment placement services, and other community-bas ...

of South Central California, the Jim Burke Education Foundation and Honor Flight Kern County where he works to send WWII, Korean War and Vietnam Veterans to Washington, DC to see their memorials. In addition, Fong was an elected member of the Kern County Republican Central Committee and is a lifetime member of the NRA.

California State Assembly

Vince Fong was first elected to the California State Assembly in 2016, earning 73.2% of the vote. He was re-elected in 2018 with 70.6% of the vote. Assemblyman Fong is currently the Vice Chair on the Transportation Committee in addition to his assignment on the Appropriations, Budget, Business and Professions, and Public Employment and Retirement Committees. Fong filed for reelection for the redrawn 34th assembly district.

Election history

2016

2018

2020

2022

References

External links

*
Vince Fong's Campaign website

Vince Fong at clubrunner.ca

Vince Fong at ucla.edu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fong, Vince Republican Party members of the California State Assembly Living people 21st-century American politicians 1979 births United States congressional aides California politicians of Chinese descent University of California, Los Angeles alumni Princeton School of Public and International Affairs alumni Asian conservatism in the United States