Justin Hwang
American politician (born 1984)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Justin Hwang (born 1984)[1] is an American restaurateur and politician from Oregon who served as chair of the Oregon Republican Party from 2022 until 2025. He is the first Asian American and Korean American to serve in the position. He previously served briefly as the vice chair from May to July of the same year. Hwang previously made unsuccessful bids for election to the Oregon House of Representatives and Oregon State Senate in 2018 and 2020, respectively.
Justin Hwang | |
|---|---|
| Chair of the Oregon Republican Party | |
| In office July 6, 2022 – February 22, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Herman Baertschiger Jr. (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Jerry Cummings |
| Vice-Chair of the Oregon Republican Party | |
| In office May 2022 – July 6, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Herman Baertschiger Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Angela Plowhead |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1984 (age 41–42) |
| Party | Republican |
| Education | Cornell University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
Personal life and business career
Hwang immigrated to the United States from South Korea as a child and obtained American citizenship in 2006.[2] He is the founder of Joy Teriyaki, a restaurant chain in the Portland metropolitan area, and operator of the Fairview Food Plaza.[3] Hwang has lived in east Multnomah County since 2003.[4]
Oregon politics
Candidacies
Hwang ran in both the 2018 Oregon House of Representatives election and the 2020 Oregon State Senate election, losing both times to state senator and former state representative Chris Gorsek.[5][6] Hwang accused incumbent Gorsek as using anti-immigrant language in a mailer sent to voters in 2018.[7] In his 2020 state senate campaign, he was running to represent Oregon's 25th Senate district and focused on school funding for Mt. Hood Community College.[4]
Oregon Republican Party
Hwang became the chair of the Oregon Republican Party in July 2022 after briefly serving as the vice chair since May 2022.[8] His incumbency was preceded by several resignations from positions within the state party, including state senator Dallas Heard and former state senator and Josephine County commissioner Herman Baertschiger, who resigned from the position in early 2022.[9] As chair, Hwang had been critical of both Oregon governor Kate Brown and U.S. president Joe Biden regarding the 2021–2023 inflation surge.[10]
Following the Standoff at Eagle Pass, Hwang signed a letter in support of Texas Governor Greg Abbott's decision in the conflict.[11]
Hwang declined to seek re-election and was replaced by Jerry Cummings.[12]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Chris Gorsek | 11,045 | 51.3 | |
| Republican | Justin Hwang | 9,658 | 44.8 | |
| Libertarian | Heather Ricks | 826 | 3.8 | |
| Write-in | 21 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 21,550 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Chris Gorsek | 30,206 | 51.9 | |
| Republican | Justin Hwang | 27,882 | 47.9 | |
| Write-in | 76 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 58,164 | 100% | ||