California Democrat makes cash splash in late entrance to competitive House race

LOS ANGELES — Derek Tran jumped into one of California’s most competitive House races months later than his fellow Democratic contenders, but his first-day fundraising haul shows he is making up for lost time.

Tran, a 42 year-old lawyer specializing in personal injury and discrimination cases, raked in more than $250,000 in the 24 hours after he launched his campaign on Monday to oust Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.), according to that campaign. That’s more than what any of the four other Democrats in the race raised in the last quarter.

Steel, who represents a district that Biden won by six points, is a prime target for Democrats who want to claw back their gains in Orange County. But she has proved to be a wily competitor and a strong fundraiser. She brought in more than $2 million in the last filing period and had $1.7 million in the bank as of June 30.

The 45th district, which is centered around Orange County’s Little Saigon, is among the most hotly-contested races this cycle. Democrats see California as a golden opportunity to flip seats and regain the majority. Steel is one of five Republican incumbents who represent districts where voters preferred Biden to Trump.

Democrats have been privately anxious over their party’s options. Kim Bernice Nguyen, a Garden Grove City Council member, scooped up prime endorsers such as Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.). But she raised only $150,000 in five months and ended June with roughly $55,000 on hand.

Also among the Democratic hopefuls are Cheyenne Hunt, a Gen Z TikTok influencer who outraised Nguyen, and Aditya Pai, a lawyer who made headlines this summer for a bizarre message to supporters quitting the race, only to claim it was a mistake and resume his campaign.

Tran is a first-time candidate, but he says his background as the son of refugees from Vietnam and an Army veteran makes him a strong fit for the district, which has a substantial Vietnamese population.

“The story of my family, my upbringing — that really resonates with voters,” Tran said in an interview, noting he speaks Vietnamese, as do many in the electorate.

Republicans, meanwhile, were eager to emphasize Tran’s resume as a personal injury attorney.

“Ambulance chasing lawyer Derek Tran just crashed Democrats’ clown car primary in the 45th district,” said Ben Petersen, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “With extreme liberal Derek Tran joining this crowded field of flawed candidates, get ready for Democrat infighting devolving into a risky high-speed race to the far-left.”

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the name of a community in the 45th district.