The Winner

If you live in California’s 45th Congressional District, Rep. Derek Tran (D-CA) will keep representing you after winning a second term by about 20 points. Two years ago he first won the seat by 653 votes. Tran had 60.2% of the vote to 39.8% for Republican Chuong Vo, a margin of 44,629 votes, in unofficial results from the California Secretary of State. ​

NBC News projected Tran the winner after Election Day. In 2024, he unseated Republican incumbent Michelle Steel 50.1% to 49.9%, one of the closest House races in the country.

The Race

Vo is a retired Torrance police officer and a former Cerritos mayor who served on the city council from 2020 to 2025. In the June 2 top-two primary, Tran led with 52.5% of the vote, and Vo finished second in a field of five Republicans.

This was Tran’s first race under the map California voters approved through Proposition 50, which added more Democratic parts of Los Angeles County to the district. The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated the race Likely Democratic, and Inside Elections rated it Solid Democratic.

The district is anchored in Orange County’s Little Saigon. It includes Garden Grove, Westminster and part of Fullerton in Orange County, plus Cerritos, Artesia and part of Lakewood in Los Angeles County.

About 748,900 people live in the district, which is 38.3% Asian, 30.8% Hispanic and 30.3% white. The median household income is $107,200, the median age is 40.8, and 38.7% of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Unemployment is 5.9%, and 9.9% of residents live below the poverty line.

What’s Next

Tran’s new term begins Sunday, Jan. 3, in a House that Democrats won control of in the midterms. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Small Business Committee.

In September, Tran introduced the Housing Cost of Living Support for Tenants Act. It would create a refundable tax credit for renters with incomes of $150,000 or less, capped at about $4,000 a year. His office said more than 75,000 households in the district would qualify.

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