THIEN HO

Born six weeks premature during the Vietnam War, Thien Ho’s story started in an overcrowded hospital with only one incubator shared among three infants. After a month, he was the only one who survived, a reminder that survival was never guaranteed in the chaos of war.

When Saigon fell on April 30, 1975, the family’s life changed overnight. Friends and neighbors vanished into reeducation camps without charges or due process. Thien’s family lived under constant fear that a knock on the door could end their freedom. With no way to live or speak safely under the new regime, his parents made a decision that would define their lives: they would escape.

They made the perilous journey across the South China Sea and eventually reached safety, beginning the long path to a new life in the United States, the Land of the Free. Thien arrived in this country with nothing but the clothes on his back and grew up with the understanding that freedom, fairness, and justice were not abstract ideals but also urgent necessities.

His professional life reflects that conviction. In 1998, Thien began his career as a prosecutor and in 2004, he joined the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. Over the next two decades, he became known as a steady, principled, and meticulous trial attorney. He served as Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney, supervising major units including Sacramento’s Gangs and Hate Crime Unit. Thien became a leading figure in combating the rise of violence against Asian Americans, conducting outreach to vulnerable communities, elders, and immigrant families who feared reporting crimes.

Thien’s commitment to victims culminated in his role helping prosecute one of the most notorious serial killers in American history — the Golden State Killer — bringing long-awaited justice to survivors who had endured decades of silence.

In 2022, Thien was elected Sacramento County District Attorney. In this role, Thien has delivered real results. He launched the “Safety, Cleanliness, and Compassion” initiative to move people from encampments into services and treatment. He created the first Homeless Outreach and Prosecution Unit in Sacramento County history. He has worked with law enforcement to take fentanyl traffickers off the streets and protect children and families from violent offenders. He started Voices for Victims summits, so victims have the chance to be heard in court.

Under his leadership, the District Attorney’s Office has expanded victim services, strengthened partnerships with neighborhood groups, and pursued accountability for financial crimes targeting seniors, consumers, and small businesses. These successes reflect a simple belief that Thien carries from his own life: every family deserves to feel safe and every person deserves dignity.

Thien Ho’s life embodies the promise of America: a boy who fled dictatorship and persecution now stands as the chief law enforcement officer of Sacramento County, committed to fairness, safety, and ensuring every voice — especially the most vulnerable — is heard. His journey is not only a testament to resilience, but also a reminder of what is possible in a nation that protects opportunity and the rule of law.

At a time when Donald Trump and his allies are twisting the law and rigging the system for their own benefit, Thien is running for Congress because our community deserves a leader who will expand access to health care, lower the skyrocketing cost of housing and groceries, protect working families, and ensure this country remains the Land of the Free.