Undated supplied photo of Hòa Nguyễn, who died at age 41 on Oct. 9, 2025.
Courtesy of the Oregon House Majority Office
Oregon state Rep. Hòa Nguyễn, a Portland-area lawmaker who was known for being a fierce champion for children, died Thursday morning. She was 41 and had cancer.
While serving her two terms in the state Legislature, Nguyễn pushed for policies to reduce chronic absenteeism, expand early childhood care and ensure students with disabilities had the support they needed.
“Rep. Nguyễn was a champion for her community and children across Oregon,” House Democratic Leader Ben Bowman said in a statement. “She brought energy and passion to legislative work, and she was always kind and thoughtful.”
Nguyễn was the oldest daughter of Vietnamese refugees who resettled first in Louisiana. Her father owned a convenience store and she often worked the front counter after school.
As a teenager, she moved to Oregon and attended St. Mary’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic School. She graduated from Portland State University, where she earned a degree in sociology and became committed to equity and justice issues, according to information from House Democrats.
Nguyễn took a leave in February to undergo cancer treatments but returned to the chamber to help give Democrats support to approve a transportation package.
Nguyễn was part of a record-breaking class of five Vietnamese lawmakers who entered the Legislature in 2023.
State Rep. Annessa Hartman, D-Gladstone, said she bonded with Nguyễn when the two were first elected. They both had pictures of their grandparents on their desks.
Nguyễn was “her ancestors’ wildest dreams,” Hartman said in a statement. She was “a powerful voice, a bridge builder, and a fierce advocate for families and survivors. She led with wisdom, grace, and an unwavering commitment to lifting others as she rose.”
Nguyễn worked at Robert Gray Middle School and also served on the David Douglas School Board.
State Rep. Emily McIntire, R-Eagle Point, said Nguyễn was her colleague with whom she liked to “nerd out on education.”
“Her why is kids and that is mine too,” McIntire said.
Nguyễn is the second state Democratic lawmaker to die this year while serving in the state Legislature.
State Sen. Aaron Woods, a former tech executive serving his first term in the Oregon Legislature, died from cancer in April. He was 75.
Although it’s relatively rare for Oregon lawmakers to die while in office, there have been others in recent years.
Longtime state Sen. Jackie Winters, R-Salem, died in office in 2019. In 2020, state Rep. Mitch Greenlick, a Portland Democrat, died. In 2021, then-Rep. Gary Leif, R-Roseburg, died of cancer.
