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Samantha Vang

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Samantha Vang
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 38B district
40B (2019-2022)
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 8, 2019
Preceded byDebra Hilstrom
Personal details
Born1993 or 1994 (age 30–31)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (DFL)
Residence(s)Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, U.S.
Alma materGustavus Adolphus College

Samantha Vang (born 1993/1994)[1] is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Vang represents District 38B in the northwestern Twin Cities metropolitan area, which includes parts of the cities of Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park in Hennepin County.[2]

Early life, education, and career

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Vang was born and raised in north Minneapolis. Her parents are Hmong refugees from Thailand.[1] She graduated from Robbinsdale Armstrong High School and from Gustavus Adolphus College, with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and communications.[2]

Minnesota House of Representatives

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Vang was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018, after the retirement of incumbent Debra Hilstrom, and has been reelected every two years since.[3]

In 2021–22, Vang served as vice chair of the Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee,[4] co-chaired the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, and co-founded the Minnesota Asian Pacific Caucus.[5] Vang chairs the Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee, and sits on the Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy, Higher Education Finance and Policy, and Legacy Finance Committees.[2]

In the aftermath of the shooting of Daunte Wright by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Vang's hometown and constituency, she spoke out on the need to enforce the oversight ability of the Peace Officer Standards and Training Board in Minnesota, and the need to terminate the statute of limitations for civil suits against law enforcement.[6]

Vang has introduced two bills into the legislature proposing an end to commercial turtle harvesting in Minnesota: one in 2019, which did not make it into the final 2019 Fish and Game bill in the Senate, and one in 2021.[7] She also authored a bill in 2021 that would allow cities to impose bans on any pesticide the Minnesota Department of Agriculture designated as "pollinator-lethal".[8]

Electoral history

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2018 Minnesota State House - District 40B[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Samantha Vang 10,512 72.76
Republican Robert Marvin 3,903 27.02
Write-in 32 0.22
Total votes 14,447 100.0
Democratic (DFL) hold
2020 Minnesota State House - District 40B[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Samantha Vang (incumbent) 11,370 62.79
Republican Charlotte Smith 4,574 25.26
Legal Marijuana Now Mary O'Connor 2,147 11.86
Write-in 16 0.09
Total votes 18,107 100.0
Democratic (DFL) hold
2022 Minnesota State House - District 38B[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) Samantha Vang (incumbent) 7,753 72.73
Republican Robert Marvin 2,892 27.13
Write-in 15 0.14
Total votes 10,660 100.0
Democratic (DFL) hold

Personal life

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Vang resides in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Yuen, Laura (October 26, 2018). "New influx of Hmong-American legislators appears likely". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d "Vang, Samantha "Sam"". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  3. ^ Hankey, Matt. "Samantha Vang narrowly wins House District 40B DFL primary". hometownsource.com. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  4. ^ "Why getting drought relief to Minnesota farmers may hinge on the state health commissioner's job status". MinnPost. 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  5. ^ Berkel, Jessie Van; Tribune, Maya Miller Star. "Advocates say Minnesota leaders failed to 'meet the moment' in tackling racial disparities". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  6. ^ Orenstein, Walker (2021-04-13). "How the killing of Daunte Wright is affecting police reform efforts at the Minnesota Legislature". MinnPost. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  7. ^ Turtinen, Melissa. "Bill would end commercial turtle harvesting in Minnesota". Bring Me The News. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  8. ^ Stanley, Greg (March 21, 2021). "Minnesota cities seek power to ban certain pesticides amid pollinator collapse". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  9. ^ "2018 Results for State Representative District 40B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  10. ^ "2020 Results for State Representative District 40B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  11. ^ "2022 Results for State Representative District 38B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
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