Political newcomer wins LBCC board seat against opponent with major establishment backing

Huy “Henry” Nguyen says he was “shocked” when he checked the early vote totals on election night and learned he was leading in the race to represent Area 5 on Long Beach City College’s board of trustees. In the 10 days since, he has solidified that lead, earning 53% of the votes in the district, which includes parts of Lakewood, East Long Beach and California Heights. He outperformed his opponent, Susana Gonzalez Edmond, a businesswoman with years of experience in higher education, by nearly 2,500 votes. On Tuesday, Nguyen declared victory, acknowledging his “underdog” status and thanking his supporters. Nguyen, an administrator in Los Angeles Unified who has never held public office, said he was intimidated to go up against a candidate with more political experience and the weight of Long Beach’s democratic political establishment behind her.

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