Derek Tran is doing his best to tell Vietnamese American voters in Westminster that he is one of them.
At a recent community gathering honoring a Vietnamese historical figure, several families brought plates of food from their heritage, but one stood out: a ceremonial offering of a whole roasted pig.
This dish was accompanied by a prominent card bearing the candidate’s name.
Derek Tran was gifted a whole roasted pig, traditionally an honorable offering, for the ceremony. Photography by Eddie Sun.
Tran, a Democrat, is running for Congress in California’s 45th District, which includes Westminster and Garden Grove, two cities located in the heart of Little Saigon in Orange County.
The Vietnamese community may play a crucial role in Tran’s bid to defeat incumbent Republican nominee Michelle Steele, as well as Democrats’ efforts to change the political makeup of the House of Representatives.
Tran is himself a Vietnamese American. His parents are refugees who fled Vietnam. He leans heavily into this heritage, along with his background in military service, which is respected by many Vietnamese voters.
“This area is designated for Vietnamese Americans,” Tran tells KCRW. “Right now, we are represented by someone who does not have that background and common understanding of how difficult it was for refugees…who came to America after the fall of Saigon.”
Derek Tran. Photography by Eddie Sun.
For some in this community, Tran’s message has gotten through. Among his supporters is Thanh Dang, who is running as a Republican for a seat on the Westminster City Council.
He says he supports Tran, despite their different political affiliations, because he values their shared identity and his background as a war veteran.
“Derek represents families, sacrifice and service to country,” Dang says. “Now, he will bring those values back home and serve our community.”
But Tran is pushing against tradition here. Historically, Orange County’s Vietnamese population has tended to vote for the Republican Party, as the party is seen as more patriotic, pro-military, and anti-communist – important for a community made up of refugees from the communist regime.
Michelle Steel, the incumbent Republican candidate, invoked anti-communist rhetoric when she won this district in 2022. In that race, her campaign portrayed her rival Jay Chen, a Taiwanese-American, as a communist sympathizer and called him “China’s choice.” This was denied by Chen.
This session, Steele emphasizes her political tenure — she’s been a member of Congress since 2021, and spent six years on the Orange County Board of Supervisors before that — and pits it against Tran’s inexperience. He is running for president for the first time.
Her campaign also promotes small-government values, and doubles down on her anti-communist rhetoric.
“[People here] Get to know her. Lance Truver, a spokesman for Steele’s campaign, told us they trust her. “She is with them on the big issues: cutting taxes, standing up to the Chinese Communist Party, and fighting to cut spending.”
In 2022, Steele won this district by five percentage points, and was the favorite in this election. However, recent polls indicate that momentum is on Tran’s side. In September, the Cook Political Index deemed this race a failure.