Stephanie Murphy

Stephanie Murphy (born Đặng Thị Ngọc Dung; September 16, 1978) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 7th congressional district from 2017 to 2023.

Murphy was born in 1978 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, before leaving the country with her family in 1979.

After growing up in Northern Virginia, Murphy attended the College of William & Mary and Georgetown University.

Before becoming a member of Congress, she worked as a national security specialist at the United States Department of Defense, an executive at Sungate Capital, and a business professor at Rollins College.

Murphy became the first Vietnamese-American woman, first Vietnamese-American Democrat, and the second Vietnamese-American overall (after South Vietnam-born Republican Joseph Cao of Louisiana) to be elected to Congress.

On December 20, 2021, Murphy announced that she would not run for reelection to a fourth term in 2022.

Stephanie Murphy was born Đặng Thị Ngọc Dung on September 16, 1978, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Her family fled Communist-controlled Vietnam in 1979 when she was six months old.

Their boat ran out of fuel and they were rescued by the United States Navy at sea.

They settled in Northern Virginia, where she grew up.

With the help of Pell Grants and student loans, Murphy attended the College of William & Mary, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics.

She then went to Georgetown University, from which she received a Master of Science in Foreign Service degree.

After the September 11 attacks, Murphy went to work for the United States Department of Defense as a national security specialist.

For her service, she received the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award.

She worked as an executive on investment efforts and government affairs initiatives at Sungate Capital in Winter Park, Florida, and as a business professor at Rollins College.

The old 7th had been a marginal district, even though Mica had won it twice without serious difficulty (he represented a more Republican St. Augustine/Daytona Beach/Orlando district from 1993 to 2013).

Mitt Romney won it over Barack Obama in 2012, with 51% of the vote.

In contrast, had the redrawn 7th existed in 2012, Obama would have won it with 49.4%.

In 2013, the company 3N2 employed Murphy to lead a design team for new women's softball pants; she is listed in patent records as an inventor of "NuFit Knickers".

A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated incumbent Republican John Mica in 2016.

Her district included much of downtown and northern Orlando, as well as all of Winter Park, Maitland, Sanford, and Altamonte Springs.

Murphy declared her candidacy for the United States House of Representatives for Florida's 7th congressional district in the 2016 elections.

She ran against 12-term incumbent Republican John Mica in the November 8 general election.

She was endorsed by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and former congresswoman Gabby Giffords.

Murphy defeated Mica with 51% of the vote.

She is the second Vietnamese-American, after Joseph Cao, to be elected to the United States Congress, and the first Vietnamese-American woman to do so.

Murphy ran in a district that was somewhat bluer than its predecessor after a court-ordered mid-decade redistricting.

After meeting with President Trump in September 2017, Murphy said that she and fellow Democrats could work with him.

According to political commentators, Murphy faced the challenge of representing an evenly divided district.

Murphy was sworn into office on January 3, 2017.

She has urged the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate various bomb threats against Jewish facilities.

In 2018 Murphy came under criticism after it was revealed that her husband's company has the pants and other sports gear made in China.

"Of the three freshman Democrats from Central Florida, which include U.S. Reps. Val Demings, D-Orlando, and Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, Murphy faces the toughest race for re-election," the Orlando Sentinel wrote on January 2, 2018.

"I think she has one of the toughest districts in the country," said Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida.

"It's very difficult to please everybody in a swing district, and that's why it's so challenging."

Murphy defeated Republican state Representative Mike Miller with 57.6% of the vote,

Murphy was reelected with 55.34% of the vote, defeating Republican Leo Valentín.

She joined the Blue Dog Coalition in the 115th U.S. Congress, and in December 2018 was named one of three co-chairs, handling administration, for the 116th U.S. Congress.

With the Democrats winning a majority in the House in 2018, Murphy was named to the Ways and Means Committee.

In March 2019, Murphy endorsed Beto O'Rourke in the 2020 Democratic party presidential primaries.