Janet Nguyen was elected to represent the 72nd Assembly District in 2020. Janet is a small-business owner, a former State Senator, former Orange County Supervisor, and former Garden Grove City Councilmember. She is the former Vice-President of Government and Public Affairs for a local Chamber of Commerce.

As a State Senator, Janet Nguyen was named Legislator of the Year by the American Legion, the Association of the United States Army and the Vietnam Veterans of America. She was named “Champion of Manufacturing” by the California Manufacturers and Technology Association for her work to protect jobs. Janet Nguyen received top ratings from California’s leading taxpayer groups and small business organizations, including the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and California Taxpayers Association.

Janet is known for her “firsts.” She is the first Vietnamese-American elected to the State Senate, was the first woman Supervisor to represent the First District, the first Asian-American and the first Vietnamese-American to serve on the Board of Supervisors, as well as the youngest Supervisor elected in Orange County history. In addition, Senator Nguyen was the highest ranking Vietnamese-American elected official in California and the highest ranking Vietnamese-American woman elected official in the United States. Janet Nguyen previously served on the Garden Grove City Council where she was the first woman Councilmember elected in nearly 35 years and the youngest member ever elected.

She was awarded the We Give Thanks 2004 Women of Vision Award, which recognizes outstanding women who have provided exceptional services to the community. In addition, the Orange County Register has listed her as one of the “30 Vietnamese-Americans to Watch” and she was named one of OC Metro Magazine 2006 “25 Hottest People” in Orange County for her demonstrated leadership and influence in Southern California.

Born in Saigon, Vietnam, Janet Nguyen and her family escaped communism on a small wooden 10-meter boat sailing across the South East Asia Sea in search of freedom. After passing through numerous refugee camps, Janet and her family arrived in California in 1981. She is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine. She resides in Huntington Beach with her husband, Tom and two sons.