# Khanh Pham

Khanh Pham (born 1978) is an American politician and activist currently serving as a member of the Oregon State Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, she represents the 23rd district, which consists of a portion of Northeast Portland and the city of Maywood Park. She previously served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2021 to 2025, representing the 46th district.
Pham is considered one of the most progressive members of the Oregon Legislature.

## Early life and education

The daughter of refugees from Saigon, Vietnam, Pham was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She moved to Irvine, California with her parents when she was 11. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lewis & Clark College in 2001, studying Sociology/Anthropology, and Political Economy. She later earned a Master of Arts in Urban Studies from Portland State University.

## Career
### Early Career

In 2004 and 2005, Pham worked as a development associate at the Global Fund for Women. She then worked as a development associate for Hesperian Health Guides from 2005 to 2007 and as a family advocate and development associate at Refugee Transitions, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco. She worked as an associate director for the National Radio Project and was a PhD researcher at Portland State University, specializing in climate adaptation and equity planning.
From 2015 to 2018, she was an environmental justice manager for the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon. She also worked for OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, and helped launch the Oregon Just Transition Alliance, which spun off as an independent statewide alliance in 2020.

### Oregon House of Representatives

After incumbent Democrat Alissa Keny-Guyer announced that she would not seek re-election in the 2020 election, Pham announced her candidacy to succeed her. Pham won the Democratic primary, defeating former County Commissioner Jeff Cogen. In the November 2020 general election, she did not face a Republican challenger.
Pham assumed office on January 11, 2021. In the 2021 legislative session, Pham helped pass HB 2021 Clean Energy for All, a bipartisan bill to move Oregon's electricity grid to 100% renewable energy by 2040. Pham also helped to win a $185 million joint investment package from the state and local governments to improve road traffic safety on 82nd Avenue and transfer ownership of 82nd Ave from the state of Oregon to the city of Portland. Following the 2021 Taliban offensive, Pham was chosen to lead a task force alongside representative Kayse Jama to coordinate the resettlement of 1,200 refugees from Afghanistan in Oregon.
Pham was reelected in the 2022 Oregon House of Representatives election. In 2023, Pham advocated for the "Protect Local Journalism Act" to fund emergency grants to local news outlets.
In September 2023, Pham announced she would run for the Oregon Senate in the 23rd district, a seat being vacated by the retiring Michael Dembrow.

#### Committee Assignments

* Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources - co-chair
* Joint Committee on Transportation
* Joint Committee on Interstate 5 Bridge
* Joint Committee on Ways and Means
* House Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment

## Personal life

Pham and her husband, Hector, have one daughter. She and her family live in the Jade District of Portland, Oregon.

## Electoral history

2024 Oregon State Senator, 23rd district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Khanh Pham | 54,001 | 97.5 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,372 | 2.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 55,373 | 100% |
23rd district Democratic primary, 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Khanh Pham | 18,230 | 98.9 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 210 | 1.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 18,440 | 100% |
2022 Oregon State Representative, 46th district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Khanh Pham | 24,289 | 83.8 |
| | Republican | Timothy R Sytsma | 4,658 | 16.1 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 44 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 28,991 | 100% |
46th district Democratic primary, 2022 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Khanh Pham (incumbent) | 8,424 | 99.28 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 61 | 0.72 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,485 | 100% |
2020 Oregon State Representative, 46th district :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Khanh Pham | 30,155 | 97.6 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 731 | 2.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 30,886 | 100% |

## External Links

* Legislature website