Tran, Derek

Derek Tran is a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing California's 45th Congressional District. First elected in 2024 in one of the nation's most closely contested races, he assumed office on January 3, 2025. The son of Vietnamese refugees, he grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and later served for eight years in the United States Army Reserve. Before entering politics, he worked as a consumer rights and employment attorney and co-owned a community pharmacy with his wife in Orange County.

In the House, he serves on the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Small Business. He holds leadership roles as the Ranking Member of the Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations and is a member of the subcommittees on Readiness, Intelligence and Special Operations, and Contracting and Infrastructure. His policy work emphasizes national security, veteran protections, and economic support for small enterprises.

His legislative record includes sponsoring the Carlton H. Ingram Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act and the Combating Chinese Communist Party Influence Act. He has also introduced measures to protect veterans from federal layoffs and to safeguard small business innovation from foreign interference. Within the Democratic caucus, he serves as a Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam and the House Democratic Caucus National Security Task Force.