| GARDEN GROVE, CA — At their convention this weekend, the California Democratic Party officially endorsed Garden Grove Councilwoman Kim Nguyen-Penaloza in her campaign for California’s 45th Congressional District. The coveted and important endorsement comes after Councilwoman Nguyen-Penaloza dominated the state party’s pre-endorsement conference on October 22nd, receiving near-unanimous support from delegates and 93% of the vote.
Upon becoming the official Democratic Party endorsed candidate in CA-45, Councilwoman Nguyen-Penaloza stated:
“I’m honored to be the Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate. With this, I will be the Democrat that fights for protecting and codifying a woman’s right to choose, helps lower costs for families, and stands up to MAGA Michelle Steel, who favors a national abortion ban without exceptions and promotes election deniers and the most extreme form of Trumpism. These MAGA values are out of step with Southern California and voters will reject them next November.”
CA-45 is one of the top pickup opportunities for Democrats in 2024. It is a Biden +6 district with a Democratic registration advantage of 5.6%. Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Latino voters are a majority of the district at 51.6% — with Vietnamese voters making up the largest block of AAPI voters at 58.4%. If elected, Kim Nguyen-Penaloza would be the first person of Vietnamese descent ever elected to Congress in California and only the third in US history. She would also be the first Asian-Latina in Congress and one of a growing group of millennials seeking to make change on our most crucial issues. Councilwoman Nguyen-Penaloza is the only candidate for Congress in the nation endorsed by both BOLD PAC and ASPIRE PAC, the political arms of both the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Asian-American, Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Members of Congress.
The daughter of a Vietnamese refugee and a Mexican immigrant, Kim Nguyen-Penaloza was the first in her family to graduate high school and college. At just 25, she won a historic election as the youngest person and first Latina ever elected to the Garden Grove City Council. A leader on women’s issues, Councilwoman Nguyen-Penaloza has stood up to harassment and sought equality and justice throughout Southern California and has fought to ensure that immigrants, like her parents, have the dignity and opportunity to succeed in our communities. A homegrown leader, Councilwoman Nguyen-Penaloza attended Clinton-Mendenhall Elementary, Doig, Intermediate, and Santiago High School. As a healthcare expert, she will bring a much-needed public health background to Congress, having formerly worked for CalOptima and now as a Program Manager for a large health plan.
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For an updated list on all endorsements, click here |
