In 2008 there were three Vietnamese candidates running for the First Supervisorial District but only one of them was a Democrat – a nice fellow named Hoa Van Tran. The other two candidates were Republicans – Janet Nguyen and Dina Nguyen (no relation to each other). Click here for a recap of that election courtesy of the L.A. Times.
Van Tran should have had a great shot at the seat but many Democrats turned on him – believing outright lies that he was somehow affiliated with former Republican Assemblyman Van Tran.
Janet’s main adviser at the time was a Democrat named Phil Bacerra. He in fact introduced me to Janet one night at the Azteca Restaurant in Garden Grove. I asked her what she stood for and the only issue she could come up with was “Small Business.” I should have realized then that she was an empty suit. Continue reading