Nguyen Kicks Off 2018 City Council Campaign, Emphasizes Elk Grove as Regional Partner

December 5, 2017 |  

Before an audience of over 100 supporters and friends, Elk Grove City Council member Stephanie Nguyen officially kicked off her campaign for the 2018 election.

The event was held on Monday, December 4 at the Falls Event Center in Elk Grove and was Nguyen's first public fundraising event since taking office last February. Nguyen was appointed for the final two years of the four-year term for the city's District 4 seat which was vacated by Steve Ly upon his election as mayor of Elk Grove. 

Introducing Nguyen was fellow council member Darren Suen who glowingly referred to her as the council's "very own Wonder Woman" that has brought a much-needed dimension to the city council. Nguyen is the Executive Director of the Asian Resources Inc., and much of her work focuses on workforce development.

"She has a servant style leadership, she puts people above herself," Suen said. "That is what I really admire about her."  

In her comments, Nguyen noted Elk Grove's population now stands at 170,000 and the city continues to grow. 

"We continue to grow, not in just a fast way, but in a smart way, and a really positive way," she said. "As an economic development person who believes in growth, and believes in order for us to build self-sufficiency we do need to grow, and that means in jobs, that means in preparing our community to take on the jobs that are coming to this community."

Nguyen also took the opportunity to squash an apparent rumor that she might be seeking a different office in 2018. There are currently no announced challengers for the District 4 seat. 

"I want to make an announcement, and that announcement is that I will not be seeking the mayoral seat for the city of Elk Grove," she said. Over the last several months rumors have been swirling that one of the four current city council members would be challenging Ly in 2018.

In announcing her some of her prominent endorsements from outside of Elk Grove, Nguyen said "I believe in a collaboration regionally" 

Nguyen noted her endorsements to date from other elected officials not attending the event include Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, and Rancho Cordova City Council member Donald Terry. Among elected officials who attended the meeting were District Attorney Ann Marie Schubert, Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli, Sacramento Vice Mayor Rick Jennings, Sacramento City Council member Jay Schenirer, Elk Grove Unified School Board Trustee Bobbie Singh-Allen, Sacramento Unified School Board Trustee Darrell Woo, and Elk Grove City Council members Steve Detrick and Pat Hume. 

"People believe that this is a regional approach, a regional approach in where [if] we cannot work together we will not succeed as a whole," she said.