United States Representative, 45th District in Congressional District 45, California

2026 Primary Election

• Derek Tran — U.S. Representative for California's 45th Congressional District in Orange, California

  Derek Tran is a U.S. Army veteran, consumer rights attorney, and small business owner. He is the son of Vietnamese refugees who fled the Communist regime in Vietnam. After enlisting in the Army at age 18, he served for eight years in the U.S. Army Reserve. Following his military service, he earned a bachelor's degree from Bentley University and a law degree from Glendale University College of Law. As an attorney, he founded his own firm to represent workers, immigrants, and survivors of sexual harassment. He and his wife, a pharmacist, also co-own a small pharmacy. Prior to his election to Congress, Tran served as a traffic commissioner for the City of Orange.

• Chuong Vo — Former Mayor of Cerritos in Cerritos, California

  Chuong Vo is a former Mayor of Cerritos and a law enforcement officer with 28 years of experience. He served on the Cerritos City Council from 2020 to 2025. Prior to his election to the city council, he was a Cerritos Planning Commissioner from 2011 to 2017 and served on the Cerritos Community Safety Committee from 2009 to 2011. Vo's family fled Vietnam as refugees. He attended UCLA, where he majored in anthropology with an emphasis in biology. His wife, Traci, is a classroom teacher.

• Mark Leonard — Operations Analyst in Fountain Valley, CA

  Mark Leonard is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and operations analyst running as a Republican for the U.S. House of Representatives in California's 45th Congressional District. He served in the Marine Corps from 2009 to 2013, which included a deployment to Afghanistan. After his military service, he studied Economics and Business at Temple University. Leonard's professional background includes working as a financial analyst, and he also served in the California National Guard.

• Chi "charlie" Nguyen — Mayor of Westminster in Westminster, CA

  Chi "Charlie" Nguyen is the Mayor of Westminster, California. After fleeing Communist Vietnam by boat at age 14, he was granted asylum in the U.S. Nguyen earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from California State University, Fullerton, and a master's degree from California State University, Long Beach. He previously worked as an aerospace engineer and owned a small business. Prior to his election as Mayor, Nguyen served on the Westminster City Council and the Midway City Sanitary District Board.

• Tom Vo — Real Estate Businessman in CA

  Tom Vo is a decorated Vietnam War veteran, entrepreneur, and 9th Dan Taekwondo Grandmaster running for the U.S. House to represent California's 45th Congressional District. Born in Vietnam, he served as a combat pilot in the Republic of Vietnam Air Force, flying over 100 missions. He immigrated to the United States as a refugee after the fall of Saigon. Vo founded Tom Vo's Taekwondo Studios in 1995 and has worked as an Orange County real estate agent, helping families achieve homeownership.

• Amy Phan West — Westminster City Councilwoman in Westminster, CA

  Amy Phan West is a Westminster City Councilwoman and business owner running for the U.S. House to represent California's 45th Congressional District in 2026. Born in Da Nang, Vietnam, she and her family fled communism as refugees and eventually immigrated to the United States. She earned an associate degree from Orange Coast College and a bachelor's degree from California State University, Long Beach. She and her husband co-own an independent rental car business.