the first vietnamese american elected to congress

This weekend, Republican attorney Anh "Joseph" Cao ousted indicted Democratic U.S. Rep. William Jefferson from his New Orleans area district to become the first Vietnamese American in Congress: Louisiana voters oust indicted Rep. Jefferson.

In the 2nd Congressional District, which includes most of New Orleans, Cao won 50 percent of the vote to Jefferson's 47 percent. His only previous political experience was an unsuccessful 2007 bid for a seat in the state legislature. More on him here: 1st Vietnamese-American elected to US Congress.

Jefferson became Louisiana's first black congressman since Reconstruction when he took office in 1991, but has recently been embroiled in scandal, pleading not guilty to charges of bribery, laundering money and misusing his congressional office.

Even with these troubles, Jefferson's loss is a big of a shock. His district is considered one of the most Democratic in the country. But there you go. Cao's win is historic.. The first Vietnamese American in Congress. More here: Holy Cao: Republican defeats Jefferson.