Democratic challenger Derek Tran declared victory Monday over incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel in a competitive Southern California U.S. House race.
Tran’s declaration in the close contest for the 45th House District came nearly three weeks after Election Day. NBC News has not declared a winner in the race for a district that includes parts of Orange and Los Angeles counties.
As of Tuesday morning, Tran — a U.S. Army veteran, consumer rights attorney and co-owner of a pharmacy — had 157,622 votes to Steel’s 157,041. It was not clear how many ballots remain to be counted.
“This victory is a testament to the spirit and resilience of our community,” Tran said in a statement. “As the son of Vietnamese refugees, I understand firsthand the journey and sacrifices many families in our district have made for a better life. My parents came to this country to escape oppression and pursue the American Dream, and their story reflects the journey of so many here in Southern California.”
The district includes Garden Grove, Westminster, Buena Park and Artesia. Parts of Brea, Lakewood, Fullerton and Yorba Linda are in the district that’s shaped like a C and wraps around Anaheim.
Steel easily advanced from the March primary in her race against four Democrats, including second-place primary finisher Tran. Tran had only 16 percent of the vote to Steel’s commanding 55 in the crowded primary.
This district supported Joe Biden for president in 2020, but voted for Republican John Cox over Gavin Newsom in the 2018 gubernatorial election. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans, but Steel defeated a Democrat in 2020 before winning re-election in 2022.
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District 45 re-elected Steel with 52.4% of the vote in 2022.
While Democrats hold every major statewide office and outnumber registered Republicans in California 2 to 1, there are pockets of strong support for Republican candidates in parts of Southern California.
California’s 54 Electoral College votes were projected to go to Vice President Kamala Harris shortly after polls closed Tuesday on election night, but county-by-county results show shifting support from the last presidential election in 2020 in several counties, including three in Southern California.
Only in America can you go from refugees fleeing with nothing but the clothes on your back to becoming a member of Congress in just one generation.
Today’s count has made it clear: I am the winner of this race thanks to the resilience, spirit, and dedication of our #CA45… pic.twitter.com/6BtxjrbAbb
— Derek Tran (@derektranCA45) November 26, 2024
California mails every active registered voter in the state — all 22 million of them — a vote-by-mail ballot, a practice that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although only a fraction of them were returned, county elections offices still need to count millions of ballots statewide — a process that usually takes days, sometimes weeks, to complete.
Counties have 30 days to complete the canvass. That means counting every valid ballot and conducting a post-election audit. During that 30-day period, elections officials compare signatures on ballot envelopes to signatures on file.
The Secretary of State is then required to certify results.
