Derek Tran was born December 22, 1980, in Los Angeles County, California.
His parents are Vietnamese refugees, who fled Communist Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon — their story of sacrifice, survival, and hope deeply shaped his upbringing. Growing up working for his family’s small business instilled in him an early appreciation for hard work, entrepreneurship, and the challenges faced by immigrants and working families.
At age 18, Derek enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve, serving for eight years — a commitment inspired by his desire to give back to the country that welcomed his family. On returning from service, he earned a B.S. in Economics-Finance from Bentley University, then a J.D. from Glendale University College of Law.
Rather than pursue high-paying corporate work, he chose to become a consumer-rights attorney, and later co-owned a small, community-based pharmacy with his wife, serving patients in Orange County — giving him direct experience with small-business challenges, healthcare costs, and working-class economic realities.
In 2024, Tran ran for U.S. House in California’s 45th Congressional District. After a high-stakes race against incumbent Michelle Steel, he narrowly won — 50.1% to 49.9% — becoming the district’s new representative. He was sworn in on January 3, 2025, and now serves on the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on Small Business.
Why his story matters: Derek isn’t a career politician — he’s a son of refugees, a veteran, a small-business owner, a small-town kid who worked after school. He’s lived the challenges many in CA-45 face: the immigrant journey, the struggle to make ends meet, high drug and healthcare prices, small-business uncertainty. That lived experience fuels his commitment to fight for everyday people in Washington.
Key Issue Stances & Priorities
Since launching his campaign and now in office, Derek Tran has emphasized:
- Affordable Healthcare & Prescription-Drug Reform — As a small-business pharmacist, Tran witnessed firsthand how high drug prices and insufficient access burden families. He supports making healthcare affordable, expanding access, protecting Medicare and Social Security, and pushing to lower the cost of prescription drugs.
- Workers’ Rights, Consumer Protection & Economic Fairness — As a former consumer-rights attorney, he stands for holding bad actors accountable, protecting workers, immigrants, survivors of harassment, and everyday consumers.
- Support for Veterans & Military-Connected Families — Given his own service, Tran advocates for veterans’ rights, job protections after federal layoffs, and ensuring the government honors its commitments to those who served.
- Small Business & Economic Opportunity — Believing small businesses are the backbone of the economy, he supports access to capital, fair regulation, and policies that empower entrepreneurs rather than corporate interests.
- Reproductive Rights & Personal Freedoms — On the campaign trail, Tran identified abortion access and reproductive healthcare as “number one issues” in his district, pledging to defend those rights at the federal level.
- Public Safety, Crime & Community Well-being — He supported policies to address homelessness, drug addiction, and theft, aligning with local ballot measures aimed at reducing crime and improving public safety.
- Holding Big Money & Special Interests Accountable — Tran frames his campaign and tenure as a fight against corruption, corporate greed, and political machines — committed to putting people over profit.
Early Accomplishments & What He’s Working On
As a newly elected freshman, Tran’s full legislative record is still developing, but he's already positioning himself to be a formidable fighter forthe people of CA-45.
- Flipping CA-45 for California’s working families: His narrow victory over a longtime incumbent in a high-stakes, highly contested district signals that his message — of service, community, and economic fairness — resonates.
- Committee assignments aligned with district priorities: As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Small Business Committee, Tran is well-positioned to address veteran issues, national security, small-business regulation, and economic opportunity for his district.
- Advocating for workers, consumers, and community values: His background as a consumer-rights attorney and small-business owner gives him credibility and insight into policies on healthcare affordability, workers’ protections, and fair economic conditions — values he says he’ll carry into Congress.
- Representation for immigrant and refugee communities: As the son of Vietnamese refugees and a first-generation American, Tran offers meaningful representation for California’s diverse communities — especially in a district with high Asian American and immigrant populations.
Surging prices are crushing small business owners and forcing families to stretch their budgets too thin. We need policies that bring down costs and support local entrepreneurs - not reckless tariffs.
- Derek Tran