Above: Jenny Liang (梁诺) in front of the Minnesota House Chambers (Credit to Leslie Larson)
By Jenny Liang, Associate Reporter at China Insight
* This article does not reflect China Insight’s endorsement of Jenny Liang for House, and all views are the candidate’s own.
My great-grandfather was tortured to death by the Chinese Communist Party during the cold winters of the Cultural Revolution. He was a greatly respected local leader in the farmlands of Shandong (山东), China. It was said that my great-grandfather was viewed as a threat to party supremacy, forced to kneel on glass shards, and was beaten and starved until his body gave out.
Growing up, my parents would tell me about my ancestors, how my great-grandmother was the most beautiful woman arranged to marry a hunchback of a man.
“After the wedding was arranged,” I was told, “she ran back home, crying with dismay. But her father sent her back, promising his daughter there was a reason her husband was chosen”
Although times were incredibly difficult, he proved to be incredibly intelligent and became well-respected among the villagers. In the mid-twentieth century, there were great countryside famines where entire villages starved to death. Trees were stripped bare, and entire fields of grass eaten by starving villagers. Despite this all, my great-grandmother firmly stood by her husband’s side as he gained prominence, and staunchly backed him as he was dragged away and murdered by the Communist regime.
My dad remembered how his beautiful grandmother always held her head high.
I am descended from a strong line of people.
As the first in my direct family to be raised outside the People’s Republic of China, I have always been fascinated with the history of the Chinese people and how societies are shaped by our political systems.
Communism led to the preventable deaths of hundreds of millions of Han Chinese during the Great Leap Forward and the One Child Policy (which spurred infanticide, forced abortions, and the abandonment of millions of children, of which I will cover in a later article). One of my aunts, in fact, endured a forced abortion after falling pregnant with her second child.
Today, the nation of over one billion operates as a One-Party state under political totalitarianism. Any political dissent is quickly silenced, and even religious services and doctrine must be state-sanctioned and filtered through party approval.
It is no surprise that I live and breathe politics and public policy: I love the gray areas of life, and am fueled by debates where there is no clear right answer. This is also the reason why I compose for and perform on the erhu (二胡), a snakeskin Chinese traditional instrument that is the closest in imitating the human voice. Music and politics are both fluid, ever-changing and subjective, but instrumental factors in shaping culture.
Left: Jenny playing the erhu at a Minnesota cultural exhibit. You can view her performances and compositions here: Youtube (Jenny Liang’s Erhu Channel) and Spotify (Jenny Liang’s Erhu Spotify).
Right: My family!
Debate and political friction, I believe, allows a society to constantly re-adjust itself and hold its political figures accountable.
Yes, abortion regulations, LGBTQ+ legislation, drug reform, criminal prosecution, and now federal immigration enforcement topics may threaten to tear our nation apart, but we are blessed in having the ability to vote and determine our nation’s stances on these issues, as well as the constitutional right to protest and use our freedom of speech.
And, that is why I firmly hold that a government should never be large enough to forget the voices of their own citizens. However, I never imagined that I would be serving my constituents by running for state office.
Left: A snapshot outside the State Capitol (Credit to Leslie Larson)
Right: Graduation! I majored in Politics, History, and Economics (PHE).
After having a difficult time in public school during the pandemic, I started Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul, where I was able to flourish and graduate college within two years. I became involved in politics through leading the campus conservative club, working as a student canvasser for legislative races, and interning at the Minnesota Senate during the 2025 Legislative Session. Near graduation, I made the decision to join the 4th Congressional District as a Secretary.
Politics, I quickly learned, is a field desperately in need of younger participants. The Republican Party, most especially, needs revitalization from Generation Z and our values and concerns. In a room where the average age was 65-70, initial feelings of being out-of-place quickly hardened into resolve.
I am the new face of the party. A face that recognizes and reveres traditional values while not being afraid to work across-the-aisle and embrace the changing landscape of our nation.
During my first election in 2024, my district did not have a Republican candidate. I remember feeling disappointed and bewildered. How could not one local conservative be willing to step up and run for office? In 2025, as I viewed my community fragment through polarization, I vowed to preserve Minnesota, the state that welcomed my family and raised me.
I am running for Minnesota House District 40A, which encompasses Arden Hills, Mounds View, parts of Shoreview, and parts of New Brighton during the 2026 Midterms Election.
I have spent most of my life in the suburbs of Arden Hills, went through the Mounds View Public School System, and graduated from the University of Northwestern in Roseville. From ever since I could remember, I have attended the Twin Cities Chinese Christian Church (双城华人教会). My earliest memories were in Sunday School, the same grades I now teach weekly.
In this chaotic time, I aim to bring civility to the state legislature through empowering marginalized communities through initiative, reducing taxes while addressing rampant state fraud, and increasing educational choice in schooling!
Left: Campaign snapshot by the Capitol pillars.
Right: Standing above the Capitol rotunda.
1) Empowering Minority Communities Through Initiative
Although life may not be easy, we stand on the shoulders of giants, and we are living a life far beyond our ancestors’ wildest dreams.
I seek to empower minority communities by proposing and supporting legislation that would reward initiative and projects that build up our state.
Pandering and enablement destroys marginalized communities and breeds apathy and entitlement. What we need instead is a hand-up, not a hand-out.
2) Reducing Taxes While Addressing Fraud
There is cause to believe that half of Minnesota’s 18 billion in federal funds was wasted through fraud since 2018.
9 billion dollars.
Think about it – if every single human on earth lost one dollar to fraud, that would still not cover the fraud in a single state of under 6 million. That amount of money amounts to over $3,000 per individual taxpayer.
In addition, Minnesota is one of the highest taxed states nationally. Yet, we are still struggling with homelessness, addiction, and crime.
As your elected representative, I will reduce taxes while addressing fraud in our state.
Instead of having tax hikes, I will seek to enact programs that restore the community and focus our money on veterans and our citizens first and foremost.
3) Increasing Educational Choice in Schooling
Minnesota is severely behind in education.
Under half of Minnesota students are proficient in reading and math.
In 2024, 45.5% of students were proficient in math, with 49.9% proficient in reading. With our extraordinary tax rates, where are all our education tax dollars going to?
We are clearly doing something wrong. If elected, I will promote alternative schooling that increases parental choice in their children’s education, strengthening and prioritizing core curriculum subjects.
I will also increase alternative choices in schooling, such as charter and private schools, trade schools, more flexible home-schooling programs, and PSEO/CIS (Cisgender) opportunities.
As someone who went through PSEO and graduated college in two years, I am a firm proponent that students should be awarded for taking academic initiative, whether through AP credits or through CIS/PSEO.
Above: My amazing Church community
My great-grandfather, who was tortured to death by the Chinese Communist Party, could never have dreamed that his great-granddaughter would be running for office. If elected, I would be one of the youngest legislators, as well as the first Chinese legislator, in State history.
Since 1858, Minnesota has been a beacon of justice and hope. China Insight Readers, I seek to continue this treasured legacy and bring civility back into our legislature.
*Minnesotans, do you know you can be refunded by the State of Minnesota for political contributions up to $75 per individual or $150 per married couple filing jointly? This political contribution refund includes my campaign! For more information, see Political Contribution Refund | Minnesota Department of Revenue.
Resources:
Website: jennyforhouse.com
Donate Here: Support – Jenny Liang for House District 40A
Email Me: [email protected]
Facebook: (2) Facebook
Instagram: (3) Instagram
Youtube: (9) Jenny Liang for State House 40A – YouTube
Tiktok: Jenny Liang for House 40A (@jennyforhouse) | TikTok