Supervisor Janet Nguyen celebrated taking the oath of office to represent Orange County’s First District Wednesday evening, Jan. 8, at an event at Mile Square Park surrounded by her family, residents and other county leaders.
But she’s already been on the job for about a month. Nguyen was initially sworn in on Dec. 5 immediately following the certification of the November election results because the First District seat had been vacant since former Supervisor Andrew Do resigned in October after pleading guilty in federal court to a bribery charge.
Nguyen said in an interview the evening before her Wednesday ceremony that she’s been spending her first few weeks on the board getting reacquainted with the ins and outs of county government.
Janet Nguyen, center, is joined by her family, as U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter, left, swears her in as the First District Supervisor during an oath of office ceremony at Freedom Hall in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen, right, gives Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer an embrace after he presented her with his label district attorney pin during an oath of office ceremony at Freedom Hall in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen, right, is greeted by a supporter during an oath of office ceremony for Nguyen at Freedom Hall in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Janet Nguyen, center in red, is joined by her family, U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter. Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer and hundreds of supporters during an oath of office ceremony for First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen at Freedom Hall in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
An exuberant First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen, center, navigates through hundreds of supporters during an oath of office ceremony for Nguyen at Freedom Hall in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Orange County Board of Supervisors chairman Don Wagner speaks during the oath of office ceremony for First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen at Freedom Hall in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Janet Nguyen, left, speaks with Assemblymember Diane Dixon, California State Assembly District 72 prior to Nguyen being sworn in as the First District Supervisor during an oath of office ceremony at Freedom Hall in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer speaks during the oath of office ceremony for First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen at Freedom Hall in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Assemblymember Diane Dixon, California State Assembly District 72 speaks during the oath of office ceremony for First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen at Freedom Hall in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter speaks during the oath of office ceremony for First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen at Freedom Hall in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Janet Nguyen, second from left, is joined by her family as U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter, right, swears her in as the First District Supervisor during an oath of office ceremony at Freedom Hall in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Show Caption1 of 18Expand“It’s quite different, the budget is larger than it was when I was here. Issues are very challenging,” said Nguyen, who served previously as a supervisor from 2007 to 2014. She most recently represented District 36 in the state Senate, a seat she gave up following her election to county supervisor.
“When you look at Orange County residents, my constituents, the cost of living is high,” Nguyen said. “It’s so difficult to find even a place to rent in Orange County, let alone dream of owning one. The county Board of Supervisors can actually help and make it better and easier for residents.”
Improving residents’ quality of life is one of her biggest priorities, she said, whether by streamlining the business permit process to bring more jobs to Orange County or making social service programs more accessible and processed faster.
Nguyen said she also intends to be a protective steward of taxpayer dollars.
“When it comes to homelessness, we have over 200 programs funded for homelessness, but our homeless population continues to increase,” Nguyen said. “We have to step back and ask why. As we’re spending more money, why are our numbers continuing to go up?”
The current homelessness system is not working, she added. “It’s not compassionate of us to allow individuals out there to continue to be homeless.”
During her time serving as a state senator, Nguyen had been vocal about her passion for animals. She said she would bring that passion to her supervisor role and look to improve transparency and operations at the OC Animal Care shelter, ultimately getting more pets adopted.
She would also like to find ways to lower the costs of pet vaccinations and spay/neuter treatments, she said, to make caring for a pet more affordable for families and individuals.
“There are opportunities for us to do better because these animals don’t have a voice. We’re their only voice,” Nguyen said. “We can always do better.”
Nguyen’s oath of office was to be administered by U.S. District Judge David Carter, who she first met as a student at UC Irvine.
“It’s really emotional for me to be able to have my professor, a hero, be able to not only administer my first oath of office 20 years ago, but also to come back and allow me the opportunity for him to administer the oath office for me this time as well,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen said she wants Orange County residents to know that she is a fighter.
“I won’t waiver fighting for my constituents in my district,” Nguyen said. “I’m very thankful that they’ve given me the opportunity to come back to Orange County, where I know I can be more impactful because it’s closer to the people.”
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