Hoang Nguyen
Hoang Nguyen has made history in the 2024 election as the first Vietnamese American and the first refugee to be elected to the Utah State Legislature.
Nguyen, whose family fled Vietnam in the wake of the war and sought asylum in the United States, said, “My first real jump into politics was registering to vote when I became a citizen,” reflecting on her unexpected journey into the political arena.
“People from my background rarely ever have a seat,” she said.
With experience as a business owner, including running multiple restaurants and cannabis ventures, Nguyen ran on a platform focused on improving public education and protecting the environment. As a mother of two, she expressed concern over recent budget cuts to higher education and emphasized the importance of a well-funded, equitable public education system.