“I grew up working in a community-based business and I believe that community based business drives our economy and supports working people. I am proud to bring that experience to Congress.”  (Press Release, 3/19/25)

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“I share my own story with hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese Americans born to parents who fled our homeland with nothing. And now, as we reflect on the past 50 years since the fall of Saigon, we do so not just in solemn remembrance, but in celebration of what we have built together. From the ashes of war, we have risen.  (Press Release, (4/30/25)

 

BACKGROUND + EXPERIENCE

Derek Tran is the son of refugees from the Communist regime in Vietnam, arriving in southern California with the Vietnamese Boat People who sought freedom, opportunity, and safety here after the Vietnam War.

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Enlisting in the Army at 18, Derek wanted to give back to the country that had given his family so much. He received a BA from Bentley University and a JD from Glendale University College. Tran rejected high-paying jobs in corporate law and launched his own legal practice in Orange County to fight for immigrants, workers, survivors of sexual harassment, and consumers.

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Tran is married to a pharmacist who grew up in Garden Grove. Together they ran a brick-and-mortar pharmacy in Orange County. They have three children who attend Orange County public schools. 

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Prior to election to his first term in Congress in 2024, Tran served on the board of the Consumer Attorney Association of California. He has mentored at-risk youth at Sunburst Academy, located at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos where Tran did his military service.

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Tran’s margin of victory in 2024 was .19% in one of the closest elections in the 2024 election cycle.

 

ON THE ISSUES

Representative Tran lists a number of issues on his campaign website which define his priorities, including:

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• Choice: defend women’s health care and rights

• Education: the key to opportunity and a brighter future

• Healthcare: a right, not a privilege

• Against Trump & MAGA: defend our rights and values

•Special interests and corruption: fight to end the culture of corruption in our politics

• Economy: committed to standing with workers

• Stand up to China: bolster economic competitiveness

• Guns: keep our communities safe

• Small business: the backbone of our economy

• Blockchain & crypto technologies: US should lead in developing new technologies

 

POLITICS IN CALIFORNIA

California has supported every Democratic presidential candidate since 1988. The state’s Governor and both Senators are Democrats as are 43 of its House delegation.

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In 2024, Representative Tran flipped the district by defeating incumbent Republican Michele Steel by just 50.1 to 49.9 % - or 1653 votes. The victory followed a protracted vote count for a race described by Politico as “the most expensive House battle in the country, with at least $46 million spent by the campaigns.”  (Politico, 11/27/24)  

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Kamala Harris carried the district by 1.5% in 2024.

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Steel defeated four Democrats in California's nonpartisan primary leading up to the ‘24 race with Tran finishing second. Steel was elected to her first term in ‘22 defeating Democrat Jay Chen 52.4 to 47.6 %. The seat was previously held by Democrat Katie Porter, currently a candidate for California Governor.

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Further indication of the competitiveness of the CA 45 race is that three republicans have declared - Mark Leonard, Brian Forde, and, significantly, Michele Steel.  The California filing deadline for the fall ‘26 elections is March 26 and the California primary will be on June 2, ’26.

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The CA 45 race is rated Toss-up by both the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball. Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

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