Ethan Cha is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2023. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Cha represents District 47B in the southeast Twin Cities metropolitan area, which includes the city of Woodbury and parts of Washington County.[1][2]
Ethan Cha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 47B district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | redistricted |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic (DFL) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Woodbury, Minnesota |
| Occupation | Legislator |
| Website | Government website Campaign website |
Early life, education, and career
editCha was born in a Thai refugee camp and immigrated to the United States as a child. He grew up in Minnesota and attended Saint Paul public schools, where he learned English.[3]
Cha lived in California for many years and moved back to Minnesota in 2021 to care for his elderly parents.[3]
Minnesota House of Representatives
editCha was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2022. He first ran in an open seat after the 2022 legislative redistricting and defeated former state representative Kelly Fenton, who represented Woodbury from 2015 to 2019.[1][3]
Cha sits on the Agriculture Finance and Policy, Commerce Finance and Policy, Housing Finance and Policy, and Legacy Finance Committees.[1]
Cha, who is Hmong, is the chair of the Minnesota Asian and Pacific Caucus in the Minnesota Legislature, which advocated for an anti-hate crime bill in the wake of an increase in anti-Asian backlash related to COVID-19's origins.[4][5]
Political positions
editCha ran on a platform concentrating on education, climate change, and defending abortion access.[3]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Ethan Cha | 10,627 | 53.13 | |
| Republican | Kelly Fenton | 9,362 | 46.81 | |
| Write-in | 13 | 0.06 | ||
| Total votes | 20,002 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL) hold | ||||
Personal life
editCha lives in Woodbury, Minnesota, and has three children, He identifies as Hmong.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Cha, Ethan - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
- ^ "Rep. Ethan Cha (47B) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
- ^ a b c d Bakst, Brian (2022-10-20). "Campaign for control of Legislature plays out in suburbs". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
- ^ Ferguson, Dana; Bakst, Brian; Yücel, Kerem (2023-01-03). "Minnesota lawmakers kick off 2023 session". MPR News. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
- ^ Olson, Rochelle (January 23, 2023). "Minnesota Asian and Pacific Caucus leaders say they live in state of 'red-alert,' mourn shooting victims". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
- ^ "2022 Results for State Representative District 47B". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.