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Garden Grove City Council, District 3

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City of Garden Grove

Garden Grove City Council, District 3

This person holds your district's seat on Garden Grove's six-member City Council. They vote on city laws, the budget, and land use. Garden Grove also has a citywide-elected Mayor. An appointed city manager runs daily operations. Not all six council districts are elected the same year. Only Districts 1, 3, and 4 have terms expiring in 2026. The term is four years.

Incumbent Cindy Ngoc Tran is running for a second term. She faces Amanda Nguyen and Thomas Quoc Thai Nguyen. Whichever candidate gets the most votes on November 3 wins outright. There is no runoff.

This person holds District 3's seat on Garden Grove's 6-member City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use, alongside the citywide-elected Mayor and an appointed city manager who runs day-to-day operations. Not all six council districts are elected the same year -- only Districts 1, 3, and 4 have terms expiring in 2026. The term is four years.

Tran, a U.S. Navy veteran and Boeing engineer first elected in 2022, is seeking re-election on a record centered on neighborhood safety, parks, and small-business support. Amanda Nguyen, a senior paralegal in the Orange County public-defense system, campaigns on similar ground -- safety, crisis response, the local economy, and affordability -- and has picked up endorsements from Congressman Derek Tran and the Democratic Party of Orange County. No comparable platform information was found for Thomas Quoc Thai Nguyen despite a real search effort.

Cindy Ngoc Tran

Cindy Ngoc Tran was born in Vietnam and has lived in Garden Grove since 2009. She served five years of active duty U.S. Navy service, then joined Boeing. At Boeing she worked on the Delta IV Heavy rocket program. She was named Young Engineer of the Year on its Young Engineering Team. She holds master's degrees in Software Engineering and System Architecture Engineering. She has held many volunteer leadership roles. She was school principal at Our Lady of La Vang Church. She was vice chairman of the Vietnamese American Federation of Southern California. She was also chairman of the Overseas Vietnamese Women's Association. She was chairman of the Society of Women Engineers too. She was elected to the council in 2022. Her stated priority is "enhancing the quality-of-life in the community by ensuring neighborhood safety." She also lists "improving parks and recreation, and promoting support for local small businesses."

Amanda Nguyen

Amanda Nguyen is a Senior Paralegal with the Orange County Alternate Defender. She has nearly a decade of experience in the county's criminal justice system. She works with attorneys, investigators, and clients on complex legal matters and post conviction relief. She also mentors students interested in law and public service. Her campaign centers on four priorities. They are safe and clean neighborhoods, and compassionate crisis response. They also include a thriving local economy and an affordable Garden Grove. She says effective local government "starts with accountability" and "thoughtful decision-making." It also starts with "understanding how policies affect people's everyday lives."

Thomas Quoc Thai Nguyen

Thomas Quoc Thai Nguyen filed his candidacy under the ballot designation "Media Businessman." He was born in Saigon and came to the United States as a refugee in 1975. He says he has worked in media for over 40 years. He says he founded a food court in Garden Grove. His priorities are a safe, clean, and green Garden Grove.

Your pick

A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.

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