First Vietnamese-American Congressman is Anh Cao: Indicted Rep. Bill Jefferson Upset by Young Republica in Louisiana

In December 2008, the New Orleans area completed a year of ethnic firsts by electing Anh "Joseph" Cao at the country's first Vietnamese-American Congressman. His election followed Louisiana's seating of Bobby Jindal as the nation's first Indian-American governor and American's election of Barrack Obama as its first African-American president.

In electing Cao over Bill Jefferson, Louisiana also ousted the first African-American it had sent to the U.S. House of Representative since Reconstruction.

Cao, who was 41 years old when elected, was born in Vietnam, one of seven children. He came to the United States, when he was eight years old, as Saigon was falling. His father served in the South Vietnam army, spent seven years in a prisoner-of-war camp and now is confined to a wheel chair.

Master of Philosophy Degree at Fordham

Young Cao entered a Catholic seminary, then later withdrew but remains an active Catholic layman. He earned a bachelor’s degrees in physics at Baylor University, a master of philosophy degree at Fordham and a law degree at Loyola of New Orleans. He conducts a law practice in eastern New Orleans, specializing in immigration law for the Vietnamese community in that area of the city.

Cao is married and has two daughters. His law practice is apparently successful because he was able to commit $70,000 of his own money to the Congressional campaign. The Times-Picayune reported that he raised another $90,000 in campaign contributions.

At his victory party, Cao said "never in my life did I think I could be a future congressman," adding, "the American dream is well and alive."

He thanked the New Orleans Vietnamese community for its support and encouraged young Vietnamese-Amercans "to work peacefully for a free and democratic Vietnam."

In his only other political campaign, Cao ran as an independent for the Louisiana House of Representatives and finished fifth among six candidates.

$90,000 of Cash Hidden in Jefferson's Freezer

His surprise election to Congress was attributed primarily to help from the Republican National Committee, to an extremely low turnout in the special December election and to support from frustrated Democrats who were embarrassed by Jefferson’s indictment on corruption charges and the report that investigators found $90,000 of cash hidden in Jefferson's freezer. Jefferson’s trial has been reset for early in 2009.

Guests at Cao’s victory party included not only Republican leaders, but also the Democrat that Jefferson defeated in the party runoff and the Democratic president of the New Orleans City Council. Cao was also supported by Governor Jindal and the sheriff of neighboring Jefferson Parish, part of which is in the Second Congressional District.

Second Congressional District Mostly African American

Louisiana’s Second Congressional District was carved by the state legislature a generation ago to help African-American candidates. Two-thirds of its voters are black. Jefferson has held the seat for eight terms. But after surviving challenges in the Democratic primary and runoff, he failed to get his traditional supporters to the polls in December.

Jefferson won the Democratic nomination on November 4 as 164,000 Second District voters, most of them black, turned out for the presidential election. Less than 67,000 voted in the December general election and that included thousands of Republicans who were unable to vote in the Democratic Congressional primaries.

Cao beat Jefferson by 1826 votes, about 50 votes less than the Green Party candidate received. Cao received 33,122, Jefferson, 31,296, Mahlic Rahlm of the Green Party 1880, and Gregory Kahn of the Liberterian Party 548.

Some political observers were already predicting that the Second Congressional District will unite behind a black candidate in the 2010 election.

Jan 20, 2009 10:55 AM

Guest :

Hi Anh Joseph Cao,
Congratulations on your victory to the White House as the first Vietnamse-American Congressman. Your exmaple as the first Vietnamese-American Congressman means more than anthying else I can describe here. Yet, I can say that all Vietnamese-Americans across the nation have been joyful and graceful about all that you have done and about to do for this country as a whole and for our Vietnamese Community in particular. Especially, now I am even more pleased to hear that you used to study in the Seminary, where I alo used to be for 6 years. Similar to what you had done, going beyond the Seminary to earn more degrees, I have been on the smilar path, having the same previlage to do the same. However, my field is different. In the end, I believe that we are here trying to make a big difference in our own family, community, and country. I wish you all the best of the best in everything that you are doing for your family, community, and this country. Once again, deeply congratulations!!
P.S By the way, my wife knows your wife. They first met each other in Chicago less than a decade ago at the Gate Scholarships. My wife still having a few of the pictures they both took together. My wife's name is Nga. Please say Hi from my wife to your wife. Also, please let her know if my wife can send her some of the pictures they took together. Thank you!
Respectfully,
Joseph Tran
josephmtasbr@yahoo.com