Candidates for the congressional race for the 45th district, Democrat Derek Tran and Republican Chuong Vo led the primaries, with Tran receiving 53.8% of the votes and Vo receiving 15.3%.
District 45 encompasses cities including Brea, Fullerton, Cerritos, Cypress, Garden Grove and Fountain Valley and is home to around 710,000 individuals.
Tran, the current incumbent, has held the seat for one term after beating Republican incumbent Michelle Steel during the 2024 election cycle.
Vo, former mayor of Cerritos and a congressional newcomer, worked in the Torrance Police Department from 1999 to 2025 as a law enforcement officer, and served on the executive board of the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority between 2021 and 2025.
Part of Tran’s campaign seeks to stimulate small businesses and invest in blockchain and cryptocurrency, so that the United States can lead in developing technologies.
“These large companies have millions and billions of dollars,” Tran said. “Small businesses are counting each cent that comes and they have to control costs. So, providing access to, whether it’s AI or CTE (Career Technical Education) programs, and making it easier for small businesses to connect with those that graduate.”
Vo’s campaign focuses on safety, emphasizing safe neighborhoods, responsive city services, fiscal responsibility and government transparency, including ending Congressional inside-trading.
“I’m running for Congress to focus on doing the basics well: keep families safe, lower costs, and hold all levels of government accountable,” wrote Vo on his campaign website.
On homelessness, Vo states that he will audit grants and contracts, strip funding from “ineffective programs,” and focus on tangible results for funded programs.
Vo and Tran both seek to address profiling by immigration agents, with Vo stating a focus on speeding up asylum and visa processing and Tran having historically introduced bills including the Private Detention Corporate Accountability Act of 2026.
On Trump, Tran stated he will combat cuts to federal benefit programs, discrimination against minority communities and efforts to take away a woman’s right to choose.
The Daily Titan attempted to reach out to Vo for an interview, but did not receive a response.