Candidate · November 3, 2026

Derek Tran

On the ballot for U.S. House · California's 45th District

DemocraticIncumbent
raised through Oct 14, 2026
$6.0M
cash on hand
$2.7M
issues with public statements
13
outside spending for or against
$1.6M

§1On the ballot

Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.

OfficeU.S. House · California's 45th District1
Party on the ballotDemocratic1,2
StatusIncumbent — Currently represents California's 45th District in the U.S. House.3
How it's decidedUnder California's top-two system, only the two candidates who received the most votes in the June 2, 2026, primary, regardless of party preference, appear on this general-election ballot.1,4
Also on the ballot

§2Who they are

Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Derek Tran was born and raised in Los Angeles County to parents who fled Vietnam as refugees, and he worked at his family's corner market after school.5,6 He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve at 18 and served eight years, and he earned a bachelor's degree in economics-finance from Bentley University and a law degree from Glendale University College of Law.5,6 He worked as a consumer and workers' rights attorney, worked on public safety policy for the mayor of Los Angeles, served as a traffic commissioner for the City of Orange, and co-owns a pharmacy in Orange County with his wife.5,6 He is in his first term in the U.S. House, where he serves on the Armed Services and Small Business committees.5

Why they say they're running

His campaign website says he is running to put people ahead of politics, protect democracy and make sure everyone, whatever neighborhood they come from, has the chance to succeed without fear of losing their freedoms.7

Service in Congress since 2023

  • 2025–nowU.S. Representative, CA-453

Websites and accounts

§3What they've said on the issues

Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.

Abortion and Reproductive Health

Abortion law

His campaign website says he is 100% pro-choice and has fought to defend women's health and rights in Congress since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.8

Government funding and abortion

His campaign website says he has worked to protect funding for Planned Parenthood and access to women's health services such as birth control and cancer screenings.8

Family and Social Policy

Child care costs

His campaign website says he has supported programs such as early childhood education, along with higher teacher pay, investment in public schools and more vocational education and job training.8

Health Care

Federal Medicaid funding

His campaign website says he has opposed efforts by President Trump and congressional Republicans to cut Medicaid and Medicare, which it says were meant to pay for tax cuts for the very wealthy.6,8

Social Security and Medicare

Social Security benefit levels

His campaign website says he will fight efforts to cut Social Security and Medicare.8

Elections and Government Reform

Campaign finance rules

His campaign website says he supports limits on the influence of lobbyists and special interests, strong campaign finance reforms and more transparency to stop corporations from buying elections.8

Federal workforce and job protections

His campaign website says he introduced legislation to protect veterans' jobs and require that veterans affected by President Trump's federal layoffs be reinstated.6

Economy, Jobs and Trade

Federal minimum wage

His campaign website says he is fighting to make the minimum wage a living wage so families can keep up with rising costs.8

Cryptocurrency rules

His campaign website says the United States should lead in new technologies such as blockchain and that clear regulations for it would foster growth, protect consumers and strengthen national security.8

Guns

Background checks for gun sales

His campaign website says he has fought for universal background checks.8

  1. Require checks for all gun sales, including private sales (with exceptions such as gifts between family members)
  2. Require checks for private sales at gun shows and online, but not other private sales
  3. Keep current law, with checks required only for sales by licensed dealers
Marked: the option their statement matches.
AR-15-style rifles

His campaign website says he has fought for a ban on assault weapons.8

  1. Ban the sale of these rifles
  2. Keep sales legal, with added limits such as a minimum buying age of 21
  3. No bans or added limits on these rifles
Marked: the option their statement matches.

Crime, Policing and Prisons

Police funding

His campaign website says he has worked to put more police on the streets to address rising crime, and has pushed for more investment in violence prevention and rehabilitation programs.8

  1. Increase police funding, for example to hire more officers
  2. Keep funding near current levels
  3. Shift some police funding to mental health, housing or other services
Marked: the option their statement matches.

Foreign Policy and Defense

Economic ties with China

His campaign website says he has supported measures to counter Chinese aggression and championed efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains and guard against unfair trade practices.8

§4Popular bills that never got a vote

Why this matters: Many bills with wide support from both parties never reach a vote, so no member of Congress is ever on record for or against them. Signing on as a sponsor or cosponsor is the only public record of support.

While Derek Tran served, these bills had broad support from both parties but never reached a floor vote. No officeholder ever had to vote on them. Derek Tran sponsored or cosponsored 13 of the 26. How bills die without a vote.

See all 26

§5Money

Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left. Outside groups that spend on their own, without coordinating with the campaign, report that too.

Reported to the Federal Election Commission for the 2025–2026 election cycle, through October 14, 2026.35

Raised$5,988,192
Spent$3,633,123
Cash on hand$2,682,392
Debts owed by the campaign$25,000

Where the money came from

Individual donors$4.2M · 70%
PACs and other political committees$1.3M · 22%
Political party committees$7,441 · 0%
Transfers from the candidate's other committees$486K · 8%

Outside spending

Groups spending independently reported $1,600,029 supporting and $0 opposing Derek Tran this cycle, primary and general combined, in the 24- and 48-hour reports the law requires for larger expenditures, filed through October 22, 2026.36

Largest independent spenders, as named in their FEC filings.
GroupSupportingOpposing
Fairshake$1,015,758—
LCV Victory Fund$284,010—
AB PAC$168,550—
RISING TIDE COLLECTIVE$100,000—
National Association of Realtors Political Action Committee$11,711—
Orange County PAC$10,000—
PIVOT VICTORY FUND$10,000—

Smaller expenditures that appear only on a group's regular monthly or quarterly report aren't in these totals, so the full amounts can be somewhat higher. When a group amends a report, only its latest version is counted.

§6Financial disclosures

Why this matters: Federal candidates and members of Congress must report their assets, income, debts and outside jobs, and members must report stock trades. These filings show possible conflicts of interest.