“All eyes are on Virginia this year,” said Shandon Phan, President of the Vietnamese American Republicans Coalition. “This is the first statewide election in a battleground state since the 2008 presidential election and our coalition intends to build on the grassroots party building and GOTV efforts we successfully put in place in 2008.” 

The event will feature State Senator Ken Cuccinelli, who is running for Attorney General and who has been actively reaching out to various immigrant communities in Northern Virginia. Several statewide candidates, including Danny Smith (38th District), Joe Bury (39th District), Sasha Gong (46th District), and Chris Merola (53rd District) have confirmed their participation. Former Congressman Tom Davis and his wife, former State Senator Jeannemarie Davis, will also attend the event as guests of honor.

“As a new American community with one of the highest rates of civic assimilation, this event is another effort to promote stronger civic participation among Vietnamese Americans,” said Phan. “We want to establish a tradition of civic involvement and it is our goal to bring our members and supporters together with the candidates for a frank discussion on the most urgent issues our Commonwealth is currently facing.”

“We believe that after events like this, our coalition grows larger, and more members will be motivated to stay informed and get involved in the political process,” Anh-Tu Do, VARC Vice-President of Membership, stated.

Republican statewide candidates have been making inroads in a state that has been leaning Democrat in recent years. Part of the reason can be attributed to the candidates doing more outreach to the minority communities.

“Not only that Bob McDonnell has signs and bumper stickers in Vietnamese, both he and his wife have made several visits to the Eden Center as well as holding meetings to listen to our concerns and support our community,” said Sylvia Le-Torrente, VARC Vice-President of External Affairs.

“And that is not a single act,” added Duc Truong, VARC Director of Policy and Political Affairs. “The Fairfax County Republican Party now has a section for the Vietnamese coalition, along with other ethnic coalitions, on its official web site. Our local and statewide candidates have their campaign materials translated and distributed widely in our community, along with frequent visits to community centers. We appreciate such genuine outreach efforts. They show both initiative and vision on the part of the party leadership and our aspiring candidates.”

Similar to the coalition’s highly successful “Vietnamese Americans for McCain-Palin” Rally in October 2008, the Virginia Candidates 2009 Reception is free to the community members, underlining the coalition’s commitment to engage its members and supporters at a grassroots level.

The event will be held at the home of Joanne Johnson, 3414 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church, VA 22044 from 6-9pm on October 11, 2009. Guests will enjoy delicious Asian dishes, such as sushi and spring rolls, and a variety of wine and cocktails while engaging in direct conversations with the candidates.