With the finalization of California’s redistricting process, a newly drawn Assembly District has appeared around Little Saigon.
Subsequently, Westminster Mayor Tri Ta and Fountain Valley Councilman Ted Bui both announced plans this week to run to represent the 70th Assembly District.
The area is now largely represented by Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen (R-Huntington Beach). But Nguyen announced Dec. 21 that she would run for a new coastal state Senate seat after her home was drawn out of the Assembly district.
The Little Saigon community was one of the most vocal groups during California’s Citizen Redistricting Commission process over the past year. Residents frequently called into public meetings to request that the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam be kept together in all state and federal districts, the Orange County Register reports.
The commission largely honored such requests but did not include the Assembly or Congressional districts where Nguyen lives. Some in the Little Saigon community noted that the area has become a haven for younger, second-generation Vietnamese American families, effectively extending the boundaries of Little Saigon to the west.
Ta plans to focus his campaign on lowering taxes, protecting small businesses, and keeping communities safe.
Bui, who serves as president of the Fountain Valley Rotary Club, won his seat on the Fountain Valley City Council in 2020 by 1.43 percentage points. Like Ta, Bui is campaigning on a similar platform but also aims to discuss ways to alleviate homelessness and traffic congestion.
Thus far, no Democrat has announced the intention to run in the race for AD-70. Candidates have until March 11 to enter these races before the June 7 primary.
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