Paula Burkes Business Writer pburkes@oklahoman.comWhen Cindy Truong decided in the fall of 2010 to run for an Oklahoma County district judge seat, her campaign manager told her it was no use; that she — as a female and as an Asian — wasn't going to win. He even suggested, Truong said, that she should change her surname to Smith. Nonetheless, Truong insisted she wanted to “give it a shot.” As a 10-year criminal prosecutor in the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office, she'd already faced — and cleared — plenty of barriers, starting with convincing her boss that her ability to relate to a jury would offset any deficiencies he perceived in her English. “Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something,” Truong, who is the first Asian to run or be elected to state office, told attendees of Oklahoma City University's "Thrive," the ninth annual women's leadership conference Thursday at the Cox Convention Center. “If I did, I'd be washing dishes somewhere,” she said. Truong, 43, isn't exaggerating.Read more on NewsOK.com