Stephanie Murphy (born Đặng Thị Ngọc Dung, September 16, 1978) is a Vietnamese-born American politician, businesswoman, former educator, and former national security analyst who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 7th congressional district from 2017 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated 12-term incumbent Republican John Mica in 2016. Her district included much of downtown and northern Orlando, as well as all of Winter Park, Maitland, Sanford, and Altamonte Springs.
Murphy was born in 1978 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, before leaving the country with her family in 1979. After growing up in Northern Virginia, Murphy attended the College of William & Mary and Georgetown University. Before her election to Congress, she worked as a national security specialist at the United States Department of Defense, an executive at Sungate Capital, and a business professor at Rollins College. Murphy became the first Vietnamese-American woman, first Vietnamese-American Democrat, and the second Vietnamese-American overall (after South Vietnam-born Republican Joseph Cao of Louisiana) to be elected to Congress. Rather than seeking re-election to a fourth term, she retired from Congress in 2022.
On July 9, 2025, Murphy announced her candidacy for mayor of Orange County in 2026.
Early life and education
Stephanie Murphy was born on September 16, 1978, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Her family fled Communist-controlled Vietnam in 1979 when she was six months old. Their boat ran out of fuel and they were rescued by the United States Navy at sea. They settled in Northern Virginia, where she grew up.
With the help of Pell Grants and student loans, Murphy attended the College of William & Mary, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. She then went to Georgetown University, from which she received a Master of Science in Foreign Service degree.
Pre-congressional career
After the September 11 attacks, Murphy went to work for the United States Department of Defense as a national security specialist. For her service, she received the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award. She worked as an executive on investment efforts and government affairs initiatives at Sungate Capital in Winter Park, Florida, and as a business professor at Rollins College.
In 2013, the company 3N2 employed Murphy to lead a design team for new women's softball pants; she is listed in patent records as an inventor of "NuFit Knickers". In 2018 Murphy came under criticism after it was revealed that her husband's company has the pants and other sports gear made in China.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2016
Murphy declared her candidacy for the United States House of Representatives for Florida's 7th congressional district in the 2016 elections. She ran against 12-term incumbent Republican John Mica in the November 8 general election. She was endorsed by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and former congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Murphy defeated Mica with 51% of the vote. She is the second Vietnamese-American, after Joseph Cao, to be elected to the United States Congress, and the first Vietnamese-American woman to do so.
Murphy ran in a district that was somewhat bluer than its predecessor after a court-ordered mid-decade redistricting. The old 7th had been a marginal district, even though Mica had won it twice without serious difficulty (he represented a more Republican St. Augustine/Daytona Beach/Orlando district from 1993 to 2013). Mitt Romney won it over Barack Obama in 2012, with 51% of the vote. In contrast, had the redrawn 7th existed in 2012, Obama would have won it with 49.4%.
After meeting with President Trump in September 2017, Murphy said that she and fellow Democrats could work with him.
2018
According to political commentators, Murphy faced the challenge of representing an evenly divided district. "Of the three freshman Democrats from Central Florida, which include U.S. Reps. Val Demings, D-Orlando, and Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, Murphy faces the toughest race for re-election," the Orlando Sentinel wrote on January 2, 2018. "I think she has one of the toughest districts in the country," said Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida. "It's very difficult to please everybody in a swing district, and that's why it's so challenging."
Murphy defeated Republican state Representative Mike Miller with 57.6% of the vote,
2020
Murphy was reelected with 55.34% of the vote, defeating Republican Leo Valentín.
Tenure
Murphy was sworn into office on January 3, 2017. She has urged the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate various bomb threats against Jewish facilities. She joined the Blue Dog Coalition in the 115th U.S. Congress, and in December 2018 was named one of three co-chairs, handling administration, for the 116th U.S. Congress.
With the Democrats winning a majority in the House in 2018, Murphy was named to the Ways and Means Committee.
In March 2019, Murphy endorsed Beto O'Rourke in the 2020 Democratic party presidential primaries. After O'Rourke withdrew from the race, Murphy endorsed Michael Bloomberg in January 2020, becoming his campaign's national co-chair. After Bloomberg withdrew in March 2020, Murphy endorsed Joe Biden.
On December 20, 2021, Murphy announced on Twitter that she would not seek reelection to a fourth term, writing, "I've decided not to seek another term in Congress. Serving Central Florida has been the honor of my life, but it's also been incredibly challenging for my family and me." There was speculation that her decision was made because Republicans in the state legislature would redraw her into an unwinnable district, but the decision came several months before new maps were approved in May 2022.
Investigation into the January 6 attack on the Capitol
On July 1, 2021, Murphy was one of seven Democrats Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed to the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. In a statement following the announcement, Murphy pledged "to fulfill this solemn responsibility to the best of my ability. My goal is simple and straightforward: to find the truth of what happened, and why it happened, so we can ensure that it never happens again. I will follow the facts wherever, and to whomever, they lead—without preconceived conclusions and through a strictly non-partisan lens." She concluded her statement: "To see the citadel of American democracy assaulted is a reminder that our democracy is not self-sustaining. It needs to be preserved and protected by American patriots of every political stripe.”
On July 12, 2022, Murphy co-led the Select Committee's seventh public hearing with Representative Jamie Raskin. In her opening statement, she said, "We will show some of the coordination that occurred between the White House and members of Congress as it relates to January 6th. And some of these members of Congress would later seek pardons." The hearing also focused on the role the far-right extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers played in organizing the attack. Trump's December 19, 2020, tweet "Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!" and its spread to his supporters was also discussed. To show the impact, the committee played audio recordings of its interview with an anonymous Twitter employee who worked from 2020 to 2021 and was on the team responsible for the platform's content moderation policies. The employee said the tweet served "as a call to action, and in some cases as a call to arms" to Trump's supporters.
In Murphy's closing statement, she said: "Our committee’s overriding objective is to fight fiction with facts. To create a full account for the American people and for the historical record. To tell the truth of what happened and why it happened. To make recommendations so it never happens again. To defend our democracy. To me, there is nothing more patriotic than that."
Committee assignments
Committee on Ways and Means
Subcommittee on Trade
Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support
Committee on Armed Services
Subcommittee on Intelligence & Special Operations, Vice Chair
Subcommittee on Tactical Air & Land Forces
Select Committee on the January 6 Attack
Caucus memberships
Blue Dog Coalition
New Democrat Coalition
Problem Solvers Caucus
Climate Solutions Caucus
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
Future Forum
Leadership in the 117th Congress
Chief Deputy Whip
Blue Dog Coalition, Communications Co-Chair
Future Forum, Chair Emeritus
Leadership in the 116th Congress
Blue Dog Coalition, Administration Co-Chair
Future Forum, Chair
Post-congressional career
On July 9, 2025, Murphy announced she would run for mayor of Orange County, Florida. She joined a field of three other candidates.
Political positions
Murphy is a Blue Dog Democrat.
Infrastructure
In 2021, Murphy was one of nine Democrats who refused to support the Build Back Better Act unless the House first voted on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Healthcare
Murphy voted against allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices of prescription medications in the Ways and Means Committee.
Economy and COVID-19 relief
Murphy is a self-identified capitalist. She supports a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. constitution, which would prohibit the government from spending more than it takes in on a given year. She views growing federal budget deficits as "major threats to the economy, the future health of America, and national security."