Elizabeth Heng

Last updated
Elizabeth Heng
Born1985
Fresno, California
Education Stanford University (BA)
Yale University (MBA)
Occupation(s)Business owner, politician
Political party Republican

Elizabeth Heng (born 1985) is an American politician. She unsuccessfully ran for election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 and 2022. She also led a political action committee, known for running a graphic ad highlighting the Cambodian genocide during a Democratic presidential primary debate.

Contents

Early life

Both of Elizabeth Heng's parents are refugees from Cambodia. [1] They lived through the Cambodian Civil War and left, arriving in the U.S. in 1983, giving birth to Heng shortly after. [1] Heng's parents owned and operated a market in southeast Fresno for 25 years, and Heng worked there while attending the local Fresno public schools. [1] Heng was the valedictorian of her 2003 class at Sunnyside High School. She earned her bachelor's degree in political science and American politics from Stanford University in 2007, where she also was elected student body president then returned to Fresno. [1]

After starting a retail cell phone business with her brothers, Heng moved to Washington, D.C. without a job offer. In an interview in 2018, Heng said she "knocked on doors at Capitol Hill dropping off my resume," and ended up working for Republican Ed Royce, a U.S. Representative from Fullerton, California. [2] [1] She worked on Royce's campaign in 2012, worked as a staffer on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and also served on the Trump inaugural committee in 2016 before returning to Fresno in August 2017. [1]

Politics

First U.S. House of Representatives Campaign

On February 16, 2018, a campaign committee filed federal paperwork for Elizabeth Heng to run for the 16th congressional district, challenging longtime incumbent Democrat Jim Costa. [3] Heng was relatively unknown at the time, with the chair of the local Democratic Party calling her a "mystery." [1] However, she gained notoriety for aggressive attack ads, including one where she depicted a silver-haired man who resembled Costa walking on a sidewalk in red high heels, which prompted questions of sexism. [4] Heng also ran an ad featuring images of the Cambodian genocide, part of her family heritage. This ad was banned on Facebook and Twitter, leading to conservative claims of social media bias and unjustified censorship. [5] [6] [7] Both social media sites ended up reversing course and allowing the commercials. [4]

Heng received comparisons to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, with some seeing parallels as a minority, millennial female running against an established male politician. [2] However, Heng lost her general election race against Costa in November 2018, receiving 60,693 votes to Costa's 82,266. [8]

New Faces GOP

In March 2019, a political action committee (PAC) named "New Faces GOP" was formed, led by Heng. [9] The PAC spent $96,000 to run a graphic ad during the third Democratic presidential primary debate in September 2019. [10] [11] The ad depicted Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's face burning while Heng narrates, talking about her family's story escaping socialism in Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge regime. [12] [13] [14] It appeared in three media markets: New York City, Washington D.C. and Fresno-Visalia, and it quickly drew criticism on social media. [11]

Ocasio-Cortez reacted to the ad on her Twitter account, saying it is a "love letter" to "the GOP’s white supremacist(s)," [15] while other Democrats directed their criticism at the network which ran the ad and caused the hashtag #BoycottABC to trend. [16]

Second U.S. House of Representatives Campaign

Heng planned on running in the 2022 United States Senate elections in California but withdrew and announced her intent to run for the U.S. House of Representatives seat vacated by Devin Nunes's resignation. [17] [18] She did not receive enough votes in the special primary election, held in April 2022, to advance. Connie Conway ultimately won the seat. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Caruso-Cabrera</span> American politician and journalist

Michelle Caruso-Cabrera is an American politician and journalist. She was a regular CNBC contributor for two decades, including as co-host of Power Lunch and Worldwide Exchange. She unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for the 2021 New York City Comptroller election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Gosar</span> American politician (born 1958)

Paul Anthony Gosar is an American far-right politician and dentist who has represented Arizona's 9th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2023 and represented Arizona's 4th congressional district from 2013 to 2023. A Republican, he was elected in 2010 to represent the neighboring 1st congressional district until redistricting. Gosar's support of conspiracy theories and alleged ties to the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and Holocaust deniers have sparked controversy.

The American Action Network (AAN) is a nonprofit, conservative issue advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., aligned to the Republican Party. It was established in 2010 by Fred Malek and Norm Coleman as a 501(c)(4) organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicole Malliotakis</span> American politician (born 1980)

Nicole Malliotakis is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 11th congressional district since 2021. Her constituency covers Staten Island and southern Brooklyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Yoho</span> American politician (born 1955)

Theodore Scott Yoho is an American politician, veterinarian, and businessman, who served as the U.S. representative from Florida's 3rd congressional district from 2013 until 2021. He is a member of the Republican Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New York</span> Elections

The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New York were held November 6, 2018 to elect a U.S. Representative from each of New York's 27 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the gubernatorial election, as well as an election to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</span> American politician (born 1989)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes the eastern part of the Bronx, portions of north-central Queens, and Rikers Island in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerri Evelyn Harris</span> American activist and politician

Kerri Evelyn Harris is an American activist and politician who is the Democratic state representative for Delaware's 32nd district. She was previously a Democratic candidate for United States Senate in 2018, mounting an unsuccessful primary challenge to incumbent US Senator Tom Carper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New Mexico</span> Election in New Mexico

The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New Mexico was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the three U.S. representatives from the state of New Mexico, one from each of the state's three congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New York</span> 2020 House elections in New York

The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New York were held on November 3, 2020, to elect the 27 U.S. representatives from the State of New York, one from each of the state's 27 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. The primary election was held on June 23, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saikat Chakrabarti</span> American political activist

Saikat Chakrabarti is a political advisor and software engineer. He was formerly chief of staff to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the U.S. representative from New York's 14th congressional district representing portions of The Bronx and Queens in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis</span> Congressional committee (2019–2023)

The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis was a select committee established in the 116th United States Congress in 2019 when Democrats regained a majority in the United States House of Representatives. Its chair was Congresswoman Kathy Castor of Florida. The committee had no mandate or subpoena power to compel witnesses to testify.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States Senate election in New York</span>

The 2022 United States Senate election in New York was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of New York.

The Squad is a group of eight Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives. It was initially composed of four women elected in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. They have since been joined by Jamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri following the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections, and Greg Casar of Texas and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania following the 2022 elections. The Squad is well known for being among the most progressive and left-wing members of the United States Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States Senate election in Nevada</span> Re-election of Catherine Cortez-Masto as US Senator

The 2022 United States Senate election in Nevada was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Nevada. Incumbent Democratic senator Catherine Cortez Masto won re-election to a second term, narrowly defeating Republican challenger Adam Laxalt. Nevada's election results were slowed due to state law that allowed voters to submit mail-in ballots until November 12, and allowed voters to fix clerical problems in their mail-in ballots until November 14, 2022.

Philip Klein is an American author and journalist who is the editor of National Review Online. Klein previously worked as the executive editor of the Washington Examiner, as a Washington correspondent for The American Spectator, and as a financial reporter for Reuters. He become editor of the conservative publication National Review Online in March 2021.

Courage to Change is an American political action committee launched by U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to elect progressive challenger candidates. The PAC was first announced in January 2020 and the next month, endorsed seven women running for congressional seats. Courage to Change made $160,000 in contributions in the first quarter of 2021. The PAC did not give to endangered Democrats in the second quarter of 2021, following an issue in the first quarter in which those campaigns sought to return unsolicited donations from Ocasio-Cortez to avoid blowback from affiliation with her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcela Mitaynes</span> American politician

Marcela Mitaynes is a Peruvian-American politician and tenant organizer. She is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 51st district as a Democrat. Mitaynes is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 New York's 14th congressional district election</span> Congressional election

The 2018 New York's 14th congressional district election was held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. The primaries for New York's federal elections were held earlier in the year on June 26. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated incumbent congressman Joe Crowley in the primary, and went on to defeat Republican opponent Anthony Pappas in the general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 California's 22nd congressional district special election</span> Election following resignation of Devin Nunes

The 2022 California's 22nd congressional district special election took place on June 7, 2022, with the primary election on April 5, 2022. California's 22nd congressional district became vacant when Republican representative Devin Nunes resigned on January 1, 2022, to become the CEO of the Trump Media & Technology Group.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Calix, Brianna (May 25, 2018). "Elizabeth Heng: The daughter of refugees and former D.C. staffer now challenges Costa" . The Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  2. 1 2 McGurn, William (September 3, 2018). "An Ocasio-Cortez for the GOP?" . Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  3. ↑ Appleton, Rory (February 28, 2018). "Capitol Hill GOP Staffer to challenge Rep. Costa". The Fresno Bee. p. A3. Retrieved August 24, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 "Is Heng's 'Costa in High Heels' Ad Fair or Cheap Shot?". GVWire. October 22, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  5. ↑ Garofoli, Joe (August 7, 2018). "Facebook fumbles ad ban in CA House race, prompting conservative outrage". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Social media giants' record not improving". The Daily Oklahoman. November 6, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2022. The most notable rejection occurred earlier this year when Elizabeth Heng, a Republican congressional candidate in California, tried to place a video ad that provided her basic biography and platform...Facebook refused to place the ad, saying it violated the company's advertising policies, which ban ads that contain "shocking" content or depict "violence or threats of violence." Twitter also banned the ad, saying it had "inappropriate" content.
  7. ↑ Tolan, Casey (October 8, 2018). "Meet Elizabeth Heng: California Republicans' glimmer of hope amid fears of a blue wave". The Mercury News . Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Elizabeth Heng - Ballotpedia". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  9. ↑ Keating, Joshua (September 13, 2019). "Who Is Elizabeth Heng, the Woman Behind the Strange Ad Comparing AOC to the Khmer Rouge?". Slate. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  10. ↑ Markay, Lachlan (September 13, 2019). "New Republican Super PAC Burns AOC's Likeness in Debate Night Ad". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  11. 1 2 Fieldstadt, Elisha (September 13, 2019). "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's face is consumed by fire in new Republican PAC ad". MSNBC. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  12. ↑ Powers, Laura (September 13, 2019). "Ilhan Omar Blasts GOP Ad Depicting Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Burning: 'Pull This Garbage Off the Air'". Newsweek. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  13. ↑ Elfrink, Tim; Itkowitz, Colby (September 13, 2019). "Republican PAC runs debate ad comparing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to genocidal Khmer Rouge" . Washington Post . Retrieved August 24, 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ↑ Medina, Jennifer (September 13, 2019). "Elizabeth Heng Ad, Targeting Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Draws a Backlash" . New York Times . Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  15. ↑ "'This is the face of socialism': Elizabeth Heng's new PAC ad targets Ocasio-Cortez". Yourcentralvalley.com. September 12, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  16. ↑ Nilson, Ella (September 13, 2019). "A shocking debate ad compared AOC's policies to a brutal genocide". Vox. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  17. ↑ Taub, David (December 17, 2021). "Heng Enters House Race Even as the Lines Keep Changing". GVWire. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  18. ↑ Irwin, Ben (February 2, 2022). "Republican millennial Elizabeth Heng to run for Congress". The Sun Gazette. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.