Vietnamese-American Politics in Little Saigon After Redistricting

With the new redistricting maps to reflect the 2020 census, Orange County voters will have the opportunity to elect new representatives.  The new election boundary lines put Little Saigon into a prominent political fulcrum that will help shape the county’s political landscape across county to federal.  

Orange County demographic has shifted dramatically in the 21rst century where the population is now 38% white, 34% Latino and 22% Asian. The county, once a bastion of conservatism and home to Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, voted against Donald Trump twice and against the recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom. 

OC Board of Supervisors drew the county map to create an Asian centric and  two Hispanic centric districts in D1, D2 and D4 respectively.  With most of Fountain Valley, Westminster and a portion of Garden Grove in D1, Asian composes over 33% of the voting age.   This seat will be hotly contested in 2024 (when D1 Supervisor Andrew Do will term out) by Vietnamese-American politicians living in the district, including current Garden Grove Councilmember Phat Bui and Fountain Valley Councilmember Michael Vo. 

With the newly created 36th Senate District where all of Little Saigon is included, current Assembly Member Janet Nguyen announced her candidacy with strong support of the Republic Party leadership.  The district has 34.3% Democrat and 36.5% Republican voters. 

 On the state assembly front, a new 70^th Assembly District combines most of Fountain Valley, Westminster and Garden Grove to create an Asian majority-minority district where about 40% of population is Asian.  Vietnamese - American voters make up an overwhelming 31.7%.  Three Vietnamese - Americans already announced their candidacy.

Newly elected in 2020,  Fountain Valley City Councilmember Ted Bui, with the behind the scene backing of Janet Nguyen, is the first to put his hat in the ring.  Nguyen arranged for her long time and trusted political consultant, Dave Gilliard,  to help run his campaign.  Ted, with little name recognition in the community and no track record, is likely be the spoiler candidate.   To some voters in the community,  he is another one of Janet Nguyen's pawn that are being misled with false promises.  

Westminster Mayor Tri Ta also has decided to jump in.  The controversial mayor is being plagued by accusation of corruption by his former Police Chief Kevin Baker in a 14 page complaint.   Baker claimed that the corruption benefited top officials and is nurtured by a culture of secretive and oppressive culture that uses “…threats, intimidation and revenge on employees and citizens who dare speak out or challenge them.”  He poignantly pointed out that “ .... the community is largely made up of vulnerable refugees from Vietnam who escaped the oppressive police controlled communist government, to only have it potentially replicated again here in Little Saigon...”

In the news for the past 2 months is the recent requested DA investigation of the illegal 2016 selling of a portion of Liberty Park, a public land, without public knowledge to Tri Ta’s major political donor.  This controversy has raised a lot of questions and uproars in the community.  The land was sold for $100,000 which was a fifth of its actual market value at that time of $500,00.  To hide from public scrutiny, the deal was approved by Tri Ta as seating mayor without public disclosure and proper hearing as required by state laws.   It was tucked in consent agenda which is normally used for run-of-the-mill items and fast track within months as Tri Ta pressured the city staff.   

As the deal is under investigation, the City Council has revealed that in the past 15 years under the guardian of Tri Ta and his political gang in power (during this period) of  former Councilmembers Andy Quach and Tyler Diep, there were 3 other dubious transactions of public properties of $0 to $1,000.   

Tri Ta is infamous in the community for being part of the “Godfather” Van Tran and his gang.  The moniker was christened by the main stream press to acknowledge the political ambition and prowess of the former state assembly member and his underlings to be the political center of Little Saigon politics.  A lot of people in Little Saigon can recall the nasty political battles between Janet Nguyen, Andrew Do against Van Tran  and his corrupted cohorts, which still left a bad taste in the community.    

Westminster City Council member Kimberly Ho also announced her candidacy for the newly created seat.  She is a tough, straight shooter who is being viewed a threat by Van Tran and his gang.  She is under vicious attack by Tri Ta for exposing his corruption on basically manipulating public properties to turn it into private financial deals that benefit his friends while the city is under budget and  revenue shortage.  Tri Ta personally went on air and asked the public to recall her.   Van Tran, Tri Ta and the third loyal member of his gang, Westminster Council member Charlie Nguyen are actively trying to recall Kimberly Ho from her current office for she opposes their hidden agenda of planting their cronies to the city while try to intimidate and manipulate city staff for their real estate development deals.  

The race for the AD70 is up for grab.  With three Republican candidates fighting for votes in the primary, a Democratic candidate will like to be in the run-off since the district is leaning Democrat, 36.8% vs. 33.2%.   Diedre Thu Ha Nguyen, the current Garden Grove Councilmember, is thinking and being asked by the Democratic Party.  She ran unsuccessful against Janet Nguyen for the now disappeared assembly seat in 2020.  She was a weak candidate then but she will likely get into the run-off again like last time just for being a Democrat.   However, unless force into this race, like many other Vietnamese-American politicians, her eye is on the D1 supervisor seat.

Whoever the candidates may be, Tri Ta is currently the most vulnerable because of the history of corruption that will be played out against him.  With 1/3 of the voters are independent, they will unlike  support him.  And the Viet voters are tired of the shenanigans and the intimidation tactics that Tri Ta, his gang  along his mentor Godfather Van Tran have exploited the community.   The divisiveness that they have caused so that they can control the politics for their own personal gains in Little Saigon is seriously being questioned.