APPLETON, WI – (WISS and WGBW) Appleton businessman Blong Yang announces he will run for the newly drawn Senate District 18, an open Senate seat that stretches from Appleton to Oshkosh. Yang, a Republican, Hmong immigrant, and lifelong Appleton resident announced his candidacy Tuesday. 

“I want to go down there for one reason and one reason alone,” said Yang, “to keep the American Dream alive for myself, my children, and yours as well.”

Yang said in a video released on his Facebook page that he saw firsthand during Covid how government mandates could harm small businesses. That spurred him to run for office.

Press Release from Blong Yang

March 26, 2024 

Contact: Blong Yang Email: info@blongyangforsenate.com 

Appleton, WI: Keeping the American Dream alive. Local business owner Blong Yang announces his candidacy for Wisconsin State Senate District 18. Yang is the first Hmong Republican to run for State office in Wisconsin. After the Vietnam War, Yang’s family fled the oppression and violence in Laos and lived in a refugee camp in Thailand. At a young age, in the late 1970s, Yang came to America with next to nothing. Years later, the rest of his family was fortunate enough to come to the United States as well. Yang’s family placed their hope in the knowledge that they had two invaluable rights in this country, freedom and opportunity. Eventually, the Yang family set their roots in the great community of Appleton. After graduation from Appleton West High School and UW-Oshkosh, Yang honored the sacrifice and legacy of his family by chasing his American Dream and starting several businesses, including a local favorite, Eggrolls Inc. 

“As a business owner and employer, I learned first-hand how government policies can impact the lives of families. In 2020, I watched our government try to implement policies and mandates that would wipe out small business. I knew I held the responsibility of my family, as well as that of my employees and their families, in my hands. As a conservative leader, I stood in the gap and fought to protect our local businesses, keep people employed, and feed my community. If elected, I will go to Madison as a principled conservative business leader who understands the consequences of the laws and policies that come out of our Capitol. We need a leader with experience, who honors and respects families’ paychecks, and who believes in the American dream. I will work to remove government barriers to small business success and fight the political agendas that take power away from families and hands it to the state.” 

Yang will fight for the citizens of Wisconsin to prioritize economic development for all of Wisconsin, cut taxes so families can keep more of their own paychecks, eliminate income tax and tax on social security, put an end to woke agendas that hurt our children, and make government a partner of business, not a piggy bank.”

“I look forward to this campaign, building our team, and winning so we can get to work. Now Let’s Roll!”