Representative Hoan Huynh Contact information

Hoan Huynh is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representative from the 13th House District. He was born in 1990 in Vietnam and is the son of refugees from Vietnam. His family resettled in the Uptown neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. His father served in the South Vietnamese military during the Vietnam War.

Huynh graduated from Yale University and Harvard University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He worked in social innovation, social entrepreneurship, technology startups, and eventually, community and social impact investments for a decade. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was deeply concerned with the anti-Asian hate sentiments and how communities of color were left behind and heavily disinvested. As a result, he was inspired to run for office to build a more equitable city and state for his neighbors and community members.

Huynh began his grassroots organizing in Chicago while working in community investments and social innovation. He spent time working in neighborhoods all around the city of Chicago, in particular, the Southside and Westside of the city. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, he led mutual aid efforts to get emergency supplies out to communities in need all around the Chicago area, working with community-oriented organizations to support COVID-19 prevention efforts on the ground. He was also a founding member of Celebrate Argyle, a community initiative to support local small businesses and promote storytelling in the Asia on Argyle neighborhood in Uptown.

As a grassroots candidate and political newcomer, Huynh announced his candidacy for State Representative of the 13th District in 2021, after the incumbent, Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris, announced his retirement that year. On November 8, 2022, with 90.49% of the vote (the highest percentage of victory statewide for a contested race), he was elected State Representative of the 13th District, making him the first Vietnamese American ever elected in Illinois state history of 204 years, the first Vietnamese American elected in the Midwest for the state legislature, the first Asian American elected to represent Chicago’s Northside lakefront, and the first person of color and Asian American to represent the 13th District. The 13th District includes Chicago’s Northside Lakefront neighborhoods of Uptown, Wrigleyville, Andersonville, Lake View, Southport, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square, Buena Park, Sheridan Park, Arcadia Terrace, Budlong Woods, and West Ridge.

Huynh assumed office on January 11, 2023. His current term ends on January 8, 2025. He is running for re-election to the Illinois House of Representatives to represent District 13. He is on the ballot in the Democratic primary.