Stephanie Murphy

Stephanie Murphy (born Đặng Thị Ngọc Dung, September 16, 1978) is a Vietnamese-born American politician, businesswoman, former educator, and former national security analyst who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 7th congressional district from 2017 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated 12-term incumbent Republican John Mica in 2016. Her district included much of downtown and northern Orlando, as well as all of Winter Park, Maitland, Sanford, and Altamonte Springs. Murphy was born in 1978 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, before leaving the country with her family in 1979. After growing up in Northern Virginia, Murphy attended the College of William & Mary and Georgetown University. Before her election to Congress, she worked as a national security specialist at the United States Department of Defense, an executive at Sungate Capital, and a business professor at Rollins College. Murphy became the first Vietnamese-American woman, first Vietnamese-American Democrat, and the second Vietnamese-American overall (after South Vietnam-born Republican Joseph Cao of Louisiana) to be elected to Congress. Rather than seeking re-election to a fourth term, she retired from Congress in 2022. On July 9, 2025, Murphy announced her candidacy for mayor of Orange County in 2026. However, she was eliminated in the primary election on August 18, 2026.