Long Pham has been a leader at multiple levels of his community and profession who will have the respect of district voters.
As a Vietnamese American, Long went out of his local community in Little Saigon to become a leader of the American engineering community in the USA before there is a Little Saigon. First, he went into nuclear engineering in 1979, a special field that few Vietnamese engineers want to be worked closely with a former USC professor. He developed his first nuclear invention in 1984 and was later elected by his peers to serve as Vice President of the American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME),the institute setting standards for engineering and nuclear safeties recognized worldwide for over 100 years, and still serves as an advisor.
He has spent considerable time volunteering in inner-city schools teaching disadvantaged children math and science. In 1993 he was honored by CSU-Fullerton for his volunteer efforts in the community. At Southern California Edison, Dr. Pham was a founder of the Vietnamese Affinity Group at Southern California Edison and recently helped raise $50,000 to purchase 900 new wheelchairs for the disabled in Vietnam.
All from his web site…
Endorsements
None listed.
Reputation/Scandals/Successes
Political Reputation
Within local political circles, Pham has built a distinct profile marked by specific dynamics:
- Perennial Candidacy: He is widely known for running for public office in nearly every election cycle. He served on the Orange County Board of Education from 2008 to 2012, but has launched multiple unsuccessful bids for other offices. His campaigns include runs for the California State Assembly, State Senate, and multiple congressional seats.
- Conservative Ideology: Pham positions himself on the right of the Republican party. In regional races, he has frequently campaigned as a conservative alternative, running on platforms centered on fiscal transparency, supporting law enforcement, and opposing government overreach.
- Credentials Dispute: His professional and academic reputation faced scrutiny during his political career. A notable controversy arose when local media, including the Orange County Register, raised questions regarding the validity and origins of his self-reported Ph.D. credentials during his 2014 campaign. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
Recent Political Activity
Pham continues to seek federal office from his base in coastal Orange County:
- 2024 Congressional Race: He ran as a Republican primary candidate for California’s 47th Congressional District, a highly competitive seat drawing significant attention from the region’s diverse voting blocs.
- 2026 Congressional Race: Pham filed to run as a Republican candidate in the primary election for California’s 42nd Congressional District, challenging incumbent Democrat Robert Garcia in a district spanning from Long Beach down to Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Campaign contributors
No information.