Ling Ling Chang


Ling Ling Chang is an American politician who is currently serving in the California State Senate, representing the 29th district, encompassing parts of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties. She is a Republican. Prior to being elected to the state Senate, she was a Diamond Bar City Councilwoman and a state Representative. In 2016, Chang was a candidate for California's 29th State Senate district, losing the general election narrowly to Democrat Josh Newman. After Newman was recalled by voters in 2018, Chang won a plurality of votes on the recall ballot and became the state senator for California's 29th district.

Early life and education

Born in Taiwan, Chang and her family emigrated to the United States when she was three years old. She was raised in Diamond Bar and graduated from Diamond Bar High School. She studied biology at UC Riverside but did not graduate. She was criticized during her 2014 campaign for claims that she attended Harvard University when she was in fact taking online classes through Harvard Extension School, the university's online extension program, which is open to the general public.

Career

Chang worked at Strategy Insights Group. In 2005, she was elected to the Walnut Valley Water District Board and was then elected twice to the Diamond Bar City Council.

California State Assembly

Chang was elected to the California Assembly in the 55th district in 2014 and had five bills signed into law in her first seven months in office. She also proposed bills seeking to cut business regulations.

2016 Senate run

Chang was the Republican candidate for California's 29th State Senate district in the 2016 election. She ran against two Democrats, former Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang and veteran Josh Newman to succeed Bob Huff in 2016 due to term limits.
As of October 2016, Chang had raised more than $4 million. She made public comments distancing herself from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. In November 2016, with 49.6% of the vote, Chang lost the general election to Democrat Josh Newman.

2018 Senate special recall election

On June 5, 2018, Chang won a recall election for the same State Senate seat that she had lost to Josh Newman two years earlier. Newman was targeted for recall by the Republican Party of California in an attempt to break the Democratic super majority in the Senate, though the campaign also emphasized Newman's vote to increase gas and vehicle taxes to fund infrastructure improvements.

Personal life

Chang is married to Andrew Wong, an attorney.