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Derek Tran is an American lawyer and politician.

Background

Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees. His father escaped from Vietnam following the fall of Saigon in 1975, but his wife and children were killed after their boat capsized. Later, Tran's father returned to Vietnam where he would meet Tran's mother, after which they immigrated to the United States together.

Career

Tran has worked as a consumer rights attorney. With regard to public office, he has served as a traffic commissioner for Orange. He also co-owns a pharmacy with his wife, Michelle.

2024 House election

Tran is challenging Michelle Steel, a Republican running for a third term, for the U.S. Representative seat on behalf of California's 45th congressional district. The district encompasses parts of Los Angeles County and Orange County. It is considered a majority-minority district, including cities Westminster and Garden Grove, which have predominantly Vietnamese American communities, as well as Artesia and Cerritos where Asian Americans are the largest demographic by race.

Allegations of communist sympathies

In the months leading up to the November election, Tran has accused Steel's husband, Shawn, of accepting bribes from the Chinese Communist Party in exchange for information, stating that Steel thus cannot be trusted with political office in the United States.

Later, on October 22, 2024, the Los Angeles Times reported that Steel's campaign was sending out campaign mailers associating Tran with Mao Zedong and accusing him of supporting socialism. Following Tran's disclosure in August that he held cryptocurrencies, Steel also claimed that his cryptocurrency assets were bound up in China. In the ensuing controversy, Steel defended her position, stating it was a provoked defense from Tran's earlier messaging.

The mutual accusations of communist sympathies led several Asian American nonprofits to pen a letter to both parties, asking them to withhold rhetoric that implies any one candidate was a threat to national security.

Political positions

Law enforcement

Tran has expressed support for Proposition 36, or the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act, arguing that it will maintain order but also provide rehabilitation and "second chances" to community members.

Economy

Tran supports a tax deduction on state and local taxes on California, stating it causes undue burden to the middle-class living in the state. He has also expressed his desire to reduce taxes and eliminate bureaucratic red tape to support small businesses and middle-class families nationwide; he is additionally interested in investing in manufacturing in the United States.

Housing

Tran supports federal funding for affordable housing through expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, endorsing public–private partnerships, and creating new grants at the federal level to help local and state governments nationwide with low- and middle-income households. With regard to homelessness, he supports a Housing First approach as well as investments in mental health and substance abuse services.

Environment

Tran intends to invest more money into Southern California's infrastructure to support public transportation and jobs in clean energy. He supports renewable energy and has indicated that he would ban offshore drilling while endorsing policies that develop clean energy, impose penalties on polluting entities, and protect water in the state of California.

Reproductive health

Tran supports nationwide legislation that provides access to in vitro fertilisation and other fertility treatments. He also supports reproductive rights writ large, stating that individuals should be able to make medical and health decisions about their own bodies without government interference.

Immigration

Tran has criticized the Republican Party's hardball stance on immigration. He has shared his own ideas for immigration reform that emphasizes technology and officer training and "a fair path to citizenship for the undocumented immigrants who are already contributing to our economy and society." He also stated that he would reintroduce the bipartisan border security bill that previously didn't pass.

Healthcare

Tran stated that he would take on insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry in order to reduce the costs of health care and prescription drugs.

Supreme Court

When asked about Joe Biden's proposed reforms to the U.S. Supreme Court, Tran specifically advocated for justices to put all of their relevant assets into blind trusts, to be forbidden from accepting gifts, and to be especially scrutinized for potentially "partisan actions they or their family members may be engaged in."

Artificial intelligence

Tran supports federal-level regulations on artificial intelligence in order to minimize deepfakes, establish penalties for misuse, and clearly label generated content.

Age limits

Tran has indicated interest in the possibility of age limits for presidential and Congressional candidates.

Personal life

Tran lives in Orange with his wife, Michelle. Tran is a fan on EDM music.

References

1. ^ Kang, Hanna (2024-11-06). "2024 Election Results: Rep. Michelle Steel leads Derek Tran by 58 votes in California's 45th congressional district". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
2. ^ Nelson, Laura J.; Hernandez, Angie Orellana (2024-10-22). "'Red-baiting' accusations fly between congressional campaigns in competitive Orange County race". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
3. ^ Schallhorn, Kaitlyn (2024-10-04). "Derek Tran, CA-45 candidate, 2024 election questionnaire". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
4. "Derek Tran overtakes Rep. Michelle Steel in 45th Congressional District race". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2024-11-17. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
5. Kang, Hanna (2024-11-17). "Election 2024: Derek Tran takes slim lead in California's 45th congressional district". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2024-11-17.