Hao's Story from https://hao4hennepin.com/:
I’ve dedicated my career to public service because I want everyone to have the same kind of opportunity that I did.
My mom fled war in Vietnam seeking
safety for her family. When she and my brothers and I finally landed in
Minnesota, we had nothing but each other. But we were given so much,
and I was able to become a police officer and later a lawyer. Now I lead
one of the largest prosecutor units in the state.
I’m running for Hennepin County Attorney because my experience as a prosecutor and in law enforcement has taught me that we can do better, we can work together to create both safety and fairness. We can hold people accountable, and provide support. We can protect people’s rights, and hear victims. We can partner with law enforcement, and also hold them accountable. I know we can because I’ve done it.
My background helps me understand what people go through.
My Mom and my brothers and I spent two years in a refugee camp in the Philippines before being sponsored to settle in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. Life here was a lifeline, but it wasn’t easy. My mom worked at a chicken processing plant, we lived in a trailer park, and we depended on public and nonprofit assistance. I was one of the few Asian kids in school and heard racial slurs more than once. I got into trouble, was often truant, and graduated high school near the bottom of my class. My teachers and others who believed in me helped me build the skills and confidence to succeed and because of them, St. Cloud State gave me a chance.
My life has also given me personal reasons to fight for dignity and fair treatment. I have a transgender child, and I stood with Governor Walz, Attorney General Ellison, and legislators protecting the rights of trans people when those rights were attacked. I also have a close family member with severe mental illness, and I’ve advocated for them within the mental health and criminal justice systems. Those experiences deepen my empathy and understanding of how systems can help — or harm — vulnerable people and their families.
My gratitude drives me to serve.
Gratitude for what others have done for me is why I chose public service. I worked my way through college by working night shifts as a correctional officer at the Stearns County jail. After college I became a police officer, went to law school, and eventually became a prosecutor. Those years taught me to see the humanity in everyone — victims, defendants, people behind bars — and impressed on me that seeking justice is more than retribution. It requires empathy, fairness, and judgment about when to prosecute, when to dismiss, and when to pursue alternatives.
My experience will guide what I do.
Professionally, I bring more than two decades in criminal justice: five years as a deputy, correctional officer, and police officer, and over 16 years as a prosecutor. For the last seven years I’ve led the Adult Criminal Trials and Appellate Division at the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, supervising prosecutors, managing budgets, hiring attorneys, and advising on case strategy. This experience gives me credibility with law enforcement and the depth of knowledge to understand what needs to change and how to make those changes. I’ve helped shift policies by working collaboratively with police chiefs, defense attorneys, judges, labor, and community.
My work extends beyond my day job. I’ve served as board chair of Asian Women United of Minnesota, helping provide safe refuge for women and children. I’m on the board of the Minnesota Crisis Intervention Team, supporting training for first responders and others to safely and compassionately handle mental health crises. In 2024 I was honored with the Carnegie Medal for Heroism for intervening to stop someone from jumping to their death — an experience that reflects how I try to show up in the hardest moments.
If elected County Attorney, I will bring empathy, humility, and the practical experience needed to run the office effectively, lead on the critical issues our county faces, and serve victims and ensure fairness for those charged.
I hope you will vote for me in the August 11th primary. To get involved in our campaign please use the links above. Thank you.
Hao
====================
Here's a link to another story as well where Nguyen touches on a lot of subjects including ICE: https://twincities.citycast.fm/guides/meet-your-candidates-hao-nguyen-for-hennepin-county-attorney"For me, I'm the only refugee and immigrant in the race – period. If you look at the slate of candidates, nobody else has that experience. I was born in Vietnam, raised by a single mother. We fled Vietnam with nothing but the clothes on our backs and lived in refugee camps in the Philippines for about two years. I believe, by the grace of God, we won the lottery when we were sponsored to come to the U.S. Catholic Charities sponsored my mom, my brothers, and me to come to St. Cloud, Minnesota. There, I learned what it's like to grow up poor in a trailer park – English as a second language, EBT, food stamps, translating for my mom – clawing my way through school, becoming a police officer, and then a lawyer.But to get back to your question – and that's a long way of answering it – I've lived every aspect of what the county attorney's office touches. It reaches a lot of poor folks. It reaches immigrants and refugees who have language barriers. It reaches people who, especially with the ICE situation, don't know if they should report a crime because they might be undocumented – though just because someone's undocumented doesn't make them illegal. They could be totally legal, but their papers have expired and all they need to do is renew them. But there's a language barrier that scares them away from doing that.So I've lived all of those parts of society, and if I get elected, it would be an honor to give voice to those experiences personally, not just academically. I'm also the only candidate right now actively investigating ICE and looking at potential prosecution. There's a case involving the man who was taken from his home in his underwear in the middle of winter – a U.S. citizen. I'm leading that investigation as the head prosecutor, working with law enforcement to investigate that case, among others. So while other candidates are talking about what they'll do once they get there, I'm actually doing the work right now.And I say that with a heavy heart, because it's very important work – and it informs what will need to be done with Alex Pretti murder and Renee Good's murder, prosecutions the current county attorney won't be able to continue because she's stepping down. The new county attorney needs to hit the ground running. Right now, I'm the only one doing the actual work of ICE investigation and prosecution. That's one of my biggest priorities."
Voting for Hennepin County Attorney is this Aug 11.
