Democrat Tran Declares Victory Over GOP Incumbent in SoCal’s Tight 45th District Race

Democratic challenger Derek Tran added another 36 votes to his lead over incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel in California’s 45th Congressional District, which covers parts of both Orange County and Los Angeles County.

If elected, Tran would become the first Vietnamese American to represent the country’s largest Vietnamese community in Congress, according to the OC Register.

The latest election results update released Monday showed Tran’s lead in the most expensive House contest in the country, inching up from 545 votes to 581 votes.

The U.S. Army veteran added 26 votes to his lead in Saturday’s count of previously unprocessed ballots in Orange County, according to the Registrar of Voters. No ballots in the Los Angeles County portion of the district were counted Saturday. No ballots were counted in either portion of the district Sunday.

Ballot counting in the Los Angeles County portion will resume Tuesday, according to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office.

Tran leads 157,622-157,041, 50.1% to 49.9%, according to the Secretary of State’s office.

The consumer rights attorney and co-owner of a pharmacy with his wife Michelle trails in the Orange County portion of the district, 142,219-138,586, 50.65%-49.35%, but leads in the Los Angeles County portion — Artesia, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens and a portion of Lakewood — 19,036-14,822, 56.2%-43.8%.

Despite the still-tight race, Tran issued a statement Monday declaring victory, calling it a “testament to the spirit and resilience of our community.”

“Throughout this campaign, I heard from voters who wanted representation that prioritizes our community’s unique challenges,” he said.

“From the need for affordable healthcare and housing to the importance of an economy that includes everyone, people here are looking to the future with hope and determination. I look forward to representing that optimism and working tirelessly to ensure that our communities’ voices are heard in Washington.”

There has been no comment from the Steel campaign.

It is not known how many ballots remain to be counted.

City News Service contributed to this article.