Joe DoVinh
CA · Garden Grove City Council Member, District 4
Garden Grove City Council member since 2022 and former city planning commissioner who co-owns a business and law center and works in real estate development. His top priorities are affordable housing and holding industry accountable for chemical safety.
Where Joe DoVinh stands, based on their records
Supports
Public Safety and Crime Control (1 record), Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties (1 record), Social Programs and Welfare (1 record),
Opposes
Government Spending Reduction (3 records), Civil Rights (1 record)
Mixed record
Environment and Public Health (1 support · 2 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Environment and Public Health
Environment and Public Health · 1 support · 2 oppose
Voted yes as the Garden Grove council backed, 7-0, a rule requiring hotels to give some workers panic buttons and other safety protections. At the same meeting he spoke against a second ban on smoking in city parks, which the council rejected.
August 25, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health
Source: orangecountytribune.com
After a chemical tank emergency at GKN Aerospace, asked city staff to review other local plants for safety violators.
May 28, 2026Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: voiceofoc.org
Led opposition to a ban on smoking in Garden Grove parks, and voted with a 4-2 majority to shelve the ban for six months.
January 27, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health
Source: orangecountytribune.com
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 3 oppose
Voted with a unanimous Garden Grove council to approve a $1.5 million first-year contract with Healthcare In Action to begin replacing Be Well OC's mental health crisis services.
August 25, 2026Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: voiceofoc.org
Voted yes as the Garden Grove council approved, 7-0, giving the Great Wolf Lodge hotel back 40% of its hotel tax for 10 years.
November 26, 2024Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: orangecountytribune.com
Voted yes as the Garden Grove council approved, 6-0, a plan to rebuild the city's Civic Center. He also asked that a water feature be added.
March 26, 2024Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: orangecountytribune.com
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 1 support
Voted yes as the Garden Grove council backed, 7-0, a rule requiring hotels to give some workers panic buttons and other safety protections. At the same meeting he spoke against a second ban on smoking in city parks, which the council rejected.
August 25, 2026Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: orangecountytribune.com
Track record — Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties · 1 support
Voted yes as the Garden Grove council passed, 4-0 with two abstaining, a resolution asking police agencies to respect civil liberties and creating an online immigration resource hub.
November 12, 2025Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: orangecountytribune.com
Track record — Social Programs and Welfare
Social Programs and Welfare · 1 support
Voted with a unanimous Garden Grove council to approve a $1.5 million first-year contract with Healthcare In Action to begin replacing Be Well OC's mental health crisis services.
August 25, 2026Supports Social Programs and Welfare
Source: voiceofoc.org
Track record — Civil Rights
Civil Rights · 1 oppose
Voted with the Garden Grove council majority to set aside, with no date to return, a resolution responding to immigration raids. He said the city should lay low. Only two members voted no.
August 26, 2025Opposes Civil Rights
Source: voiceofoc.org
Track record — Public Infrastructure
Public Infrastructure · 1 support
Voted yes as the Garden Grove council approved, 6-0, a plan to rebuild the city's Civic Center. He also asked that a water feature be added.
March 26, 2024Supports Public Infrastructure
Source: orangecountytribune.com
Track record — General
General · 10 records
Recused himself as the Garden Grove council voted 6-0 to call a June 2027 special election on the Nickelodeon hotel resort and spend $1 million on it.
September 22, 2026
Source: orangecountytribune.com
Asked the Garden Grove council to add a 'Freedom' sign in English, Vietnamese and Spanish to Trailer Way. The council voted to study it.
February 24, 2026
Source: orangecountytribune.com
Refused to vote on a Garden Grove council resolution backing the police department and its chief. The other five members present voted yes.
November 5, 2025
Source: orangecountytribune.com
Said at a council meeting that the police union tried to pressure him to apologize to the police chief. This followed backlash over his Vietnamese radio remarks, which he said were mistranslated.
October 28, 2025
Source: voiceofoc.org
Proposed cuts to a pro-immigrant resolution that let it move forward. The Garden Grove council voted 5-1 to take up his slimmed-down version.
October 28, 2025
Source: orangecountytribune.com
Abstained as the Garden Grove council voted 5-0 to have the city attorney draft a ban on smoking and vaping in city parks.
September 9, 2025
Source: orangecountytribune.com
Said he was the one who called for mediation in pay talks with Garden Grove public works workers, and defended the city's offer as fair.
August 12, 2025
Source: voiceofoc.org
Abstained as the Garden Grove council voted 6-0 to let the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations run the 2025 Tet Festival. He raised the group's past embezzlement scandal.
September 24, 2024
Source: orangecountytribune.com
Won the Garden Grove City Council District 4 seat on November 8, 2022 with 2,248 votes (40.2%), beating Duy Nguyen and Trung Ta.
November 8, 2022
Source: ocvote.gov
As a Garden Grove planning commissioner, publicly endorsed Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido for re-election.
November 2, 2012
Source: voiceofoc.org
Past race Joe DoVinh ran in:
- Member of the City Council, District 4 · November 3, 2026 · Garden Grove city, California · incumbent