The Democratic Party of Orange County voted Monday to withhold its endorsement from Tracy La, a candidate for the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education in Trustee Area 4, after social media posts from VietRise — the nonprofit organization La founded and runs as Executive Director — praised Vietnamese communist leader Ho Chi Minh.
The vote came Monday, August 24. DPOC Chair Florice Hoffman issued a statement afterward drawing a direct line between the posts and the party's decision.
"The Democratic Party of Orange County stands alongside the Vietnamese Refugee Community fleeing Communism and those who have had to flee violence from brutal dictatorial regimes around the world," Hoffman said. "We refuse to endorse a candidate who praises the dictator Ho Chi Minh or who fails to acknowledge the crimes of that regime."
What VietRise Posted
The controversy stems from a VietRise event and social media posts dated August 18, 2025. According to Vietnamese-language community reporting, VietRise organized a summer picnic at Garden Grove Park on August 16, 2025, where the organization distributed printed materials celebrating the Vietnamese communist "August Revolution" and describing Ho Chi Minh as a national hero who brought sovereignty to Vietnam.
The posts drew immediate backlash from Vietnamese American refugee community members in Orange County, many of whom fled communist Vietnam after 1975. VietRise did not publicly withdraw the materials or respond to community criticism.
Tracy La Is Running for Garden Grove's School Board
La is running in the November 3, 2026 general election for Garden Grove USD Trustee Area 4, which covers portions of Garden Grove and the surrounding community. Her campaign website describes her focus as quality education, classroom resources, and transparency in the district.
Garden Grove USD is one of the largest school districts in Orange County and serves a significant Vietnamese American student population in and around Little Saigon.
The DPOC Central Committee is the official body authorized to issue Democratic Party endorsements for local races in Orange County. Under California law, it is the only organization permitted to make such endorsements countywide. A "No Endorsement" designation means La cannot carry the party's official backing into the November race.
As of publication, La's campaign had not issued a public response to the DPOC decision or to the VietRise social media controversy.