18 Facts About My-Linh Thai

My-Linh Thi Thai is an American politician and pharmacist who serves in the Washington State House of Representatives representing the 41st district in King County.

My-Linh Thai was born in Vietnam and raised by her grandparents on the Mekong Delta.

My-Linh Thai immigrated to the United States in 1983 as a war refugee and reunited with several family members who had fled earlier.

My-Linh Thai arrived in the Seattle area at the age of 15 and enrolled at Federal Way High School despite not knowing the English language.

My-Linh Thai graduated from the University of Washington School of Pharmacy and worked as a practicing pharmacist in Billings, Montana, before moving with her family to Bellevue, Washington, in 2008.

My-Linh Thai has worked as a medical interpreter for Vietnamese immigrants and returned to the country to teach one of the first graduate nursing programs in Vietnam.

My-Linh Thai became involved in the Somerset parent teacher student association shortly after moving to the city, during a sabbatical from her work as a pharmacist.

My-Linh Thai was appointed PTSA president, earning an advocacy award from the state PTA, and was elected to the Bellevue School District school board in 2013.

My-Linh Thai was re-elected to a second term in 2017 and was appointed as the board president.

My-Linh Thai served as the vice president of the Washington State School Directors' Association.

My-Linh Thai filed her candidacy for the 41st district seat in early April 2018, shortly after incumbent Judy Clibborn announced her retirement.

My-Linh Thai took 43 percent of the vote in the primary election, advancing to the general election alongside Republican Michael Appleby.

My-Linh Thai was elected in the general election on November 6,2018, winning 65 percent of the vote over Appleby's 35 percent.

My-Linh Thai became one of the first two Vietnamese American legislators to be elected to the Washington State Legislature, alongside Joe Nguyen from the 34th district.

My-Linh Thai announced her resignation from the school board the following day.

My-Linh Thai was sworn in on January 14,2019, wearing a traditional Vietnamese dress.

My-Linh Thai served as Washington's representative during the roll call at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, recording a message from Seattle.

My-Linh Thai's husband is Don My-Linh Thai, a neurologist at the Valley Medical Center in Renton.