Anh "Joseph" Cao is hoping an election Saturday will make him the first Vietnamese-American to be elected to Congress, CNN reported.
Anh "Joseph" Cao would be the first Vietnamese-American to serve in Congress if elected Saturday.
Anh "Joseph" Cao would be the first Vietnamese-American to serve in Congress if elected Saturday.
The 41-year-old Cao (pronounced Gow) is running in Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District, which contains most of the city of New Orleans, against the indicted incumbent Democrat, Rep. William Jefferson.
Cao's main appeal is that he is a Republican alternative to the controversial Jefferson.
Jefferson, who has held the seat since 1991, is awaiting trial for allegedly stashing $90,000 in bribe money in his freezer. But so far, those allegations haven't kept Jefferson from seeking another term, or getting the most votes in last month's Democratic primary.
Cao, an immigration attorney who's married and has two daughters, is keenly aware of the fact that he was virtually unknown before this campaign began and has never held public office before.
His only previous political experience was running for the Louisiana State Assembly in 2007 as an independent. He lost. But these limitations haven't handicapped him from raising around $200,000 in campaign contributions during this election.
State Republicans feel Jefferson's legal troubles may provide their best opportunity to win his seat, and the Republican National Congressional Committee is providing an additional $42,000 to help before the election Saturday.