Hoan Dang, a top community leader and a regulatory compliance analyst, cites three reasons for running for State Delegate in Maryland’s District 19.

He stressed his passion for helping people and serving the community, working with other people to tackle challenging issues, and his desire “to see more people actively involved in the political process.”

The Democratic primary will be held on September 14. The winner will be the party candidate in the general election on November 2.

Hoan added: “America is a great nation because of its democratic form of government. I believe our democracy will be stronger if there are more people ‘at the table’ participating and helping to make key decisions that will affect all of us. Mahatma Gandhi, a great civil rights leader, once said: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

As a prominent community leader, Hoan himself was not afraid to use his voice to testify in the Maryland General Assembly. In 2005, he led a delegation of 20 Vietnamese Americans to Annapolis to join a larger coalition–comprised of Asian American, Latino American, African American and labor organizations–in opposing seven “anti-immigrant” bills that were subsequently defeated.

Hoan was born in Saigon, South Vietnam. In 1975, he and his family fled Vietnam to avoid communist persecution. They came to the U.S. as Vietnamese refugees and eventually settled in Montgomery County, Maryland. He graduated from Walt Whitman High School and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt University.

Hoan worked as an electronics engineer with the Federal government at the NOAA/National Weather Service for over nine years. After receiving his MBA in Finance and Master of Science in Operations Research from Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, he went to work for a Fortune 500 company. For the past 11 years, he has worked at the same company in various business operations positions including senior financial analyst, Corporate internal auditor, and now as a regulatory compliance analyst.

Hoan is a dedicated volunteer and community leader. He was featured in the earlier Asian Fortune series on people who make a difference. Since 1997, he has been a board member of the Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association (MVMA). He served as its chair and president for nine years (2001-2009).

MVMA is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, founded in 1979. It has helped over 20,000 refugees and immigrants from Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin American, and Africa to become permanent residents and U.S. citizens. MVMA’s Golden Age Project for Seniors has helped Limited English Proficiency (LEP) senior citizens gain access to government services and benefits to improve their quality of life.

Q & A

Who are the other Democratic candidates for the September primary?

There is one candidate who has registered with the Maryland State Board of Elections. But I hear there could be as many as eight or more other Democratic candidates entering the race by the filing deadline in July 2010.

What do you think are your chances to win?

It will be a very tough race to win the Democratic primary election on September 14, because there could be as many as nine or more Democratic candidates competing for the three State Delegate seats in District 19. So right now, my chances of winning the primary are about one in three if you do the math.

However, we estimate that I will only need about 8,000 votes to win in the primary election, because not many people will come out to vote. The great news is that once I win the Democratic primary, my chances of being elected in the general election on November 2 are about 99%, since the ratio of Democrats to Republicans in District 19 is almost 3 to 1. The key election for me will be the Democratic primary in September.

What are the demographics of your district?

There are 110,000 residents, 18% of whom are African Americans, 13% Latinos, 10 to 11% Asians, and 58% Whites.

How will you raise funds, and what is your target goal?

Our campaign’s goal is to raise $200,000 from now until September. However, it is critical that we raise as much money as possible by January 10, in order to show a strong financial report for our first public filing with the Maryland State Board of Elections.

We can accept donations from any U.S. citizen or permanent resident living anywhere in the U.S. Individuals, corporations, associations and partnerships may contribute up to $4,000 during each four-year election cycle (Jan. 1, 2007 to Dec. 31, 2010). Donations to my campaign can be made online at www.HoanDang.com.

As a candidate, what are your major issues?

First, we need to help small businesses survive this economic downturn and become successful again, because small businesses create most of the new jobs in the state of Maryland. Second, one of the issues related to health disparities is funding for screening, vaccination and treatment of Hepatitis B, a liver disease that can kill you if left untreated. Third, Maryland is ranked #1 in the nation for education, but the number of high school drop outs is increasing. We need to figure out why and find ways to help more kids stay in school. There are programs such as vocational training, after-school, and Saturday school programs that can help.

If a Republican wants to vote for you, how would he/she do it in Maryland?

They would need to change their affiliation to become a Democrat. It is an easy process. The can visit the Maryland Board of Elections website, download and complete the form to change party affiliation, and submit it to Board of Elections for processing. Our campaign is ready to assist anyone with this process.

Will your website have the necessary information?

Yes. Our campaign webmaster has developed a new website.