Rady Mom wins state representative seat in Massachusetts

Historic win makes him the first Cambodian American state legislator in the nation.



Some historic election news out of Massachusetts... On Tuesday in Lowell, Rady Mom was elected the city's newest state representative, and became the first Cambodian American state legislator in the nation.

Rady Mom makes history, becoming first Cambodian legislator by taking Lowell rep race

Mom, a 45-year-old accupressure therapist who moved to the United States from Cambodia at age 12, defeated Fred Bahou to claim the 18th Middlesex House District, winning more than 61 percent of the vote.

Mom received strong backing from Lowell's Cambodian American voters, and inspired community members to become more active in local politics:

Community rallies for victims of deadly apartment fire

Seven people -- including three young children -- killed in fatal blaze in Lowell, MA



This is a terrible story out of the Boston area... Last week in Lowell, seven people -- including three young children -- were killed in a deadly apartment fire that has devastated the local Cambodian community.

Lowell fire hits heart of Cambodian community

33-year-old Ellen Vuong and her boyfriend Torn Sak, and three of the couple's children, Anthony, 12, Ryan, 9, and Sayuri, 7, perished in the fire early morning Thursday when they became trapped in their third floor apartment. Two of their young children were able to make it out alive. Two unrelated adults, 38-year-old Tina Christakos and an unidentified 70-year-old man, died in an apartment on the other side of the building.

According to the Lowell Fire Department, the three-alarm blaze was an accidental electrical fire.

Over the weekend, hundreds of community members gathered for a memorial service and collected donations for the families of the victims: