Election 2020: Early vote returns show Janet Nguyen and Diedre Nguyen still close in bid for 72nd Assembly District

Early returns show Democrat Diedre Nguyen holding a slight but not definitive lead over Republican Janet Nguyen in the race to represent the 72nd Assembly District.

“I’m hopeful that our message of protecting health care, rebuilding our economy and improving education will carry the day,” Diedre Nguyen said in a text message on Tuesday, Nov. 3 around 9:30 p.m.

The race for AD-72 became one of the state’s most closely watched primaries earlier this year, after first-term Republican incumbent Assemblyman Tyler Diep of Westminster lost the backing of the Republican Party of Orange County over some votes he cast in Sacramento were deemed by party officials to be too union-friendly. The sentiment prompted fellow Republican Janet Nguyen to enter the race, and she easily overtook Diep to grab the Republican vote during the March 3 primary. On the other side of the political divide, Diedre Nguyen also handily defeated another Democratic challenger to advance to the Nov. 3 ballot.

All of his played out even as the once-safe GOP district continues to shift. But unlike most other parts of Orange County, the change in AD-72 shows Republicans picking up new voters. The GOP’s registration advantage in the district has grown to 2.3 points, giving Janet Nguyen a slight edge in a contest that pundits now say leans Republican.

But that’s not a lock. In 2016, voters in the district chose Hillary Clinton for president, not Donald Trump. And Democrats are pouring big money into the race in hopes of flipping the seat, a trend that has given Diedre Nguyen a financial advantage. She’s raised $1.8 million this cycle, with $1.3 million of that total from the California Democratic Party. Janet Nguyen has raised $1.2 million, including $326,202 from the California Republican Party.

About the 72nd Assembly District

Boundaries: Covers northwestern Orange County, from Garden Grove west to Seal Beach and from Los Alamitos south to Huntington Beach

Voter registration: 36.6% Republican, 34.3% Democrat, 24.3% independent

Demographics: Diverse, with 48.2% White, 33.1% Asian American, 18.3% Latino, 0.4% Black

AD-72 vote in 2018: Republican Tyler Diep with 51.6% vs. Democrat Josh Lowenthal with 48.4%

Janet Nguyen, 43, of Fountain Valley, has been the first woman and Vietnamese American to hold several local and state seats. She started on the Garden Grove City Council in 2004, won a county Supervisor seat in 2007 and became a State Senator in 2014.  In 2017, she was named legislator of the year by the Vietnam Veterans of America, but a year later was narrowly voted out of her SD-34 seat. She’s now a board member on the Orange County Foundation.

See the latest election results

Janet Nguyen touts her record fighting for lower taxes, tuition freezes at public colleges and securing grant money for local schools. She supports the repeal of Assembly Bill 5, fewer regulations to address climate change, and making housing more affordable by reducing regulations for builders.

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Democratic challenger Diedre Nguyen is a cancer scientist who holds a second degree black belt in the Korean martial art Hapkido. She was elected to Garden Grove City Council in 2016 and reelected by a larger margin in 2018. She’s also been active with community organizations and events, including serving as a board member for the Lunar New Year TET Parade/Festival.

If elected, Diedre Nguyen wants to take on healthcare costs, college tuition hikes and securing retirement savings.

This story will be updated as more votes are counted.