Derek Tran
U.S. Representative from CA, District 45
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Biography
Derek Tran is a Democratic U.S. Representative from California's 45th District, an Army veteran, and the first Vietnamese American Democrat in Congress.
Derek Truyen Tran is the U.S. Representative for California's 45th Congressional District, a Democrat first elected in 2024 and currently serving his first term. The son of Vietnamese refugees, Tran served in the U.S. Army and earned degrees from Pepperdine University and Western State College of Law. Before entering Congress, he worked as a consumer-rights and employment-law attorney and ran a family pharmacy business. In a historic victory in one of the nation's closest 2024 races, Tran defeated Republican incumbent Michelle Steel by just 653 votes. In the 119th Congress, he serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Small Business Committee, drawing on his military background and entrepreneurial experience. His legislative agenda emphasizes veterans affairs and benefits, small business support and economic development, consumer protection, and advocacy for the Vietnamese American community. Tran represents a major Democratic gain in Orange County and brings diverse professional expertise and immigrant perspective to Congress.