Anti-Abortion, Former Jesuit, The First Vietnamese - American And Republican Elected As A US Congressman

1st Vietnamese-American elected to US Congress

By CAIN BURDEAU

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The first Vietnamese-American elected to Congress doesn't have a long list of policy beliefs.

Aside from one major issue, Republican moderate Joe Cao says he's open on everything else. "The only thing I am certain of is that I am anti-abortion,"

Cao said Sunday morning after defeating Democratic U.S. Rep. William Jefferson in a race that marked a major shift in New Orleans politics by ending a 30-year stand for Jefferson, dogged by corruption allegations. The victory for a 41-year-old immigration attorney who is the child of Vietnam War refugees was greeted with amazement and drew parallels to last year's election of Gov. Bobby Jindal, an Indian-American Republican.

It also confirms a general shift to the GOP in Louisiana, where the Democratic Party dominated for generations and no Republican had represented New Orleans since 1890.

"This is kind of uncharted waters here," said Larry Powell, a Tulane University historian.

Link (here) to the rest of the article.