In CA-45 race, Rep. Michelle Steel and Derek Tran will face off in November – Orange County Register

Republican Rep. Michelle Steel and Democrat Derek Tran appear poised to advance to the general election for California’s 45th congressional district race — a contest closely watched by both parties this year.

While Steel has consistently led the pack since the March 5 primary, the race was extremely close for the second-place spot. As of Monday morning in Orange and Los Angeles counties — both served by CA-45 — 366 votes separated Tran and Democrat Kim Nguyen-Penaloza, a Garden Grove councilmember who conceded over the weekend.

“It’s time to call it. Unfortunately, I did not win my bid for CA-45,” Nguyen-Penaloza said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “When I made the decision to run in January 2023, I really thought I could do it. … I felt in my heart I could be the representative we deserve. Someone who walks in our shoes, understands our struggles and who will fight so we can live out our American dream.”

See the latest election results.

Tran, in his own statement on X, thanked Nguyen-Penaloza and said he is honored to be the Democratic nominee for CA-45. A first-time candidate, Tran has said he plans to address the gun violence epidemic, advocate for women’s rights and fight the effects of climate change.

“In the Army, I swore an oath to serve this country, and in November we will defeat corrupt Michelle Steel and provide true representation to the people of CA-45,” he said.

On Monday, Steel thanked her supporters in an emailed statement.

“Southern California families deserve and need someone in Washington who won’t raise their taxes and who will always fight to lower them,” said Steel. “I support lower taxes, more freedom, less spending, an America that challenges the Chinese Communist Party and a secure border.”

“My English may be broken, but my voice is loud and positions clear,” she said.

The race for CA-45 attracted several candidates, including Democrats Aditya Pai, an affordable housing attorney, and Cheyenne Hunt, a policy advocate. Both have since conceded.

CA-45 is one of several Republican-held House districts that went for President Joe Biden in 2020 and where registered Democrats in the district outnumber registered Republicans. As of Feb. 20, according to data from the secretary of state’s office, the district includes 36.9% registered Democrats, 33.3% Republicans and 23.8% no party preference.

In November, more than 752,000 people in the district, home to the largest Vietnamese enclave outside of Vietnam, will get to choose who represents them in Congress for the next two years: a Republican of Korean descent or a Democrat with Vietnamese roots.