Vince Fong Bio
Vincent Karchi Fong (born October 24, 1979) is an American politician who has served as the U.S. representative for California’s 20th congressional district since 2024. A member of the Republican Party, Fong represents a Central Valley region centered around Bakersfield and has built a career on issues of public safety, economic growth, and community service. Before his election to Congress, he served in the California State Assembly from 2016 to 2024 and worked for nearly a decade as district director for Congressman Kevin McCarthy.
Born in Bakersfield to Chinese immigrant parents, Fong earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton University. He is married to Amanda Boschma, whom he met through a Bakersfield-area foster care non-profit. Fong’s rise from a child who struggled with a stutter to a member of the U.S. House of Representatives has been marked by steady advancement through local, state, and federal office.
Early Life and Background
Vincent Karchi Fong was born on October 24, 1979, in Bakersfield, California, to Chinese immigrant parents. His father was an immigrant from Hong Kong who worked in a Bakersfield pharmacy, and the family settled in the Central Valley, where Fong spent his childhood and formative years. Growing up in a tight-knit immigrant household shaped his understanding of hard work and community responsibility.
As a child, Fong struggled with a stutter and has described himself as having been afraid to speak in front of groups, let alone a classroom. He has credited his teachers and mentors with helping him recognize his potential and overcome his fear of public speaking. Fong attended West High School in Bakersfield, where he began to develop the communication skills that would later define his political career.
Fong’s interest in politics was unexpected within his family. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles, surprising relatives who had not heard him discuss political ambitions before college. He later completed a Master of Public Affairs at Princeton University, formalizing the policy training that prepared him for work on Capitol Hill and in the California State Assembly.
Path to US Politics
Fong’s entry into public service began in Washington, D.C., where he worked as an aide to Congressman Bill Thomas, the then-chair of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. In that role, Fong focused on international trade policy, working to expand market access for American farmers and small businesses. It was during this period that he met Kevin McCarthy, who was then Thomas’s district director, and the two formed a working relationship that would shape Fong’s career.
Fong returned to Kern County to serve local residents, working for nearly a decade as McCarthy’s district director after McCarthy was elected to Congress. He became deeply involved in Kern County’s community organizations and nonprofits, serving on the boards of Goodwill Industries of South Central California, the Jim Burke Education Foundation, and Honor Flight Kern County, which sends veterans to Washington, D.C. He also held an elected position on the Kern County Republican Central Committee and is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.
These years of constituent service and local engagement positioned Fong for his first run for elected office. In September 2016, he announced his candidacy for the California State Assembly, seeking to succeed term-limited Assemblymember Shannon Grove in the 34th district. He would go on to become the first Asian American to represent Bakersfield in the state legislature.
Vince Fong Career
Early Career (2016–2022)
Fong launched his political career with his 2016 election to the California State Assembly, representing the 34th district. In the general election, he faced Perrin Swanlund, an 18-year-old recent graduate of West High School, and won by a wide margin. The victory made Fong the first Asian American ever to represent Bakersfield in the state legislature, a milestone in a region with a long history of conservative Asian-American political involvement.
He was re-elected to the Assembly in 2018 and 2020, and was redistricted to the 32nd district in 2022, where he won re-election that same year. During his tenure, Fong authored several notable bills, including measures aimed at reducing catalytic converter theft, promoting wildfire prevention through controlled grazing, and providing firearm training materials in multiple languages. His legislative work consistently focused on enhancing public safety and fostering economic growth across the Central Valley.
California State Assembly Breakthrough (2016–2024)
Fong’s Assembly tenure provided a long track record of constituent service and policy achievements in Sacramento. His bipartisan work on public safety measures, including efforts to combat catalytic converter theft, gained attention across Kern County and the broader Central Valley. He also championed wildfire prevention by promoting controlled grazing as a land management tool, an approach that sought to reduce fuel loads in fire-prone areas.
Beyond his legislative accomplishments, Fong continued his nonprofit and civic engagement, strengthening ties with veterans’ groups, education foundations, and local business organizations. His focus on economic growth and pro-agriculture policies aligned closely with the priorities of his Central Valley constituents. By the time he departed the Assembly in 2024, Fong had established himself as one of the region’s most recognized state lawmakers.
U.S. House of Representatives Era (2024–Present)
After U.S. Representative Kevin McCarthy announced his resignation from Congress in December 2023, a special election was scheduled for California’s 20th congressional district. Initially declining to run, Fong later announced his candidacy, despite already filing for re-election in the Assembly. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber deemed Fong ineligible to run in both races simultaneously under state law, but Fong sued and won a ruling from Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne W. L. Chang permitting him to run.
Fong advanced to the runoff in the special election against Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, another Republican, and won with a 60% to 39% margin. He was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives by Speaker Mike Johnson on June 3, 2024. In the November general election, Boudreaux withdrew and endorsed Fong, who went on to win re-election to a full term. Fong resigned his Assembly seat on May 24, 2024, and he appeared on both the U.S. House and Assembly ballots in the general election, ultimately winning the Assembly race as well over Bakersfield City Councilor Ken Weir.
Notable Events and Milestones
Fong’s career is marked by several defining moments, beginning with his 2016 victory that made him the first Asian American to represent Bakersfield in the California State Legislature. His successful legal challenge to California’s dual candidacy rules in 2024 cleared the path for his election to Congress. His 60% to 39% victory over Mike Boudreaux in the special election runoff, followed by a full-term win later that year, confirmed his strong standing with voters in California’s 20th congressional district.
Vince Fong Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Fong was born in Bakersfield, California, to Chinese immigrant parents. His father immigrated from Hong Kong and worked in a Bakersfield pharmacy, grounding the family in the local community. Fong’s professional lineage is closely tied to two major Central Valley Republicans, Bill Thomas and Kevin McCarthy, both of whom mentored him during his early career in public service.
Personal Life
Fong is a Protestant. He is married to Amanda Boschma, whom he met through a Bakersfield-area foster care non-profit. The couple’s shared commitment to community service in Kern County has been a defining feature of their public life together.