U.S. House, California 45th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in California's 45th Congressional District?
Derek Tran has the strongest record in California's 45th Congressional District. Derek Tran scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Chuong V. Vo at 56, as of October 9, 2026. Derek Tran's highest marks are command of the job and showing up. Chuong V. Vo's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Derek Tran
67 / 100
Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 88
Republican
Chuong V. Vo
56 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Derek Tran
- Mark against2026-08-13
Filed a periodic transaction report on Aug. 13, 2026 disclosing a July 28, 2025 Litecoin sale ($1,001 to $15,000) about a year late; his office said he believed it fell under the threshold.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20035183, NOTUS, Aug. 14, 2026
- On the record2025-01-07
Voted Yea, against Minority Leader Jeffries, on the Laken Riley Act (H.R. 29), which passed 264 to 159.
- Credit2024-11
Became the first Vietnamese American to represent California's 45th District after winning the 2024 race; NBC Los Angeles reported the milestone in May 2026.
Source: NBC Los Angeles, May 14, 2026
Chuong V. Vo
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Derek Tran. A 2026 periodic transaction report disclosed a July 2025 Litecoin sale about a year late; his office told NOTUS he believed the sale was under the $1,000 reporting threshold. No House Ethics matter or FEC fine found.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20035183, NOTUS, Aug. 14, 2026, House Clerk annual disclosure, Filing ID 10074943
Chuong V. Vo. Candidate financial disclosure filed May 14, 2026, and campaign reports on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk candidate disclosure, Filing ID 10077142, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Derek Tran. Voted against Minority Leader Jeffries on several significant 2025 bills, including Yea on the Laken Riley Act (H.R. 29) and the CLARITY Act digital asset bill.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 6, Jan. 7, 2025 (H.R. 29), House Clerk Roll Call 199, July 17, 2025 (CLARITY Act)
Chuong V. Vo. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Derek Tran. Held open in-person town halls in Cerritos and Buena Park in April 2025 and in Westminster in November 2025. No 2026 general election debate found.
Sources: Tran House office, April 25, 2025, Tran House office, Nov. 4, 2025
Chuong V. Vo. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Derek Tran. Served eight years in the Army Reserve with an honorable discharge and has served in the House since 2025; no formal conduct finding found.
Source: Tran House office, About
Chuong V. Vo. Spent 26 years with the Torrance Police Department and five years on the Cerritos City Council with no formal conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Chuong Vo
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Derek Tran. Took the military oath in the Army Reserve and the House oath in 2025. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Tran House office, About
Chuong V. Vo. Served as a sworn police officer and as a Cerritos councilmember. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Chuong Vo
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Derek Tran. In his first U.S. House term since January 2025, after eight years in the Army Reserve and a career as a consumer rights attorney and small business owner.
Sources: GovTrack, Derek Tran, Ballotpedia, Derek Tran
Chuong V. Vo. Served on the Cerritos City Council from 2020 to 2025, including as mayor and mayor pro tem, after a long police career.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Chuong Vo, City of Cerritos, March 2025
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Derek Tran. Ranking Member of the Small Business Committee's Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations subcommittee; also serves on Armed Services.
Sources: GovTrack, Derek Tran, Tran House office, About
Chuong V. Vo. Publishes issue positions on public safety, cost of living, homelessness and education with some specific proposals.
Source: Campaign site
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Derek Tran. Communicates through an email newsletter, town halls and published issue pages; completed Ballotpedia's survey in 2023 but not in 2026.
Sources: Tran House office, Contact, Tran House office, Nov. 4, 2025, Ballotpedia, Derek Tran
Chuong V. Vo. Publishes plain-language issue positions; has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey. No debate found.
Sources: Campaign site, Ballotpedia, Chuong Vo
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Derek Tran. Born and raised in Los Angeles County and owns a pharmacy in Orange County; the district spans both counties. FEC by-state totals show about 58 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.
Sources: Tran House office, About, Campaign site, FEC contribution totals by state
Chuong V. Vo. Former Cerritos mayor and councilmember, a district city. FEC by-state totals show about 87 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.
Sources: City of Cerritos, March 2025, NBC Los Angeles, May 14, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Derek Tran. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Chuong V. Vo. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with no FEC administrative fine. Served on the executive board of the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority from 2021 to 2025.
Sources: FEC candidate page, Ballotpedia, Chuong Vo
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Derek Tran. No public record found.
Chuong V. Vo. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Derek Tran. Missed 1 of 676 roll call votes, 0.1 percent, from January 2025 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, Derek Tran
Chuong V. Vo. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Derek Tran. Runs a district office in Cypress and holds monthly mobile office hours in Fountain Valley and Cerritos for help with federal agencies.
Sources: Tran House office, Contact, Tran House office, Mobile Office Hours
Chuong V. Vo. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Derek Tran. No public record found.
Chuong V. Vo. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Derek Tran. No public record found.
Chuong V. Vo. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in California's 45th Congressional District?
Derek Tran has the strongest record in California's 45th Congressional District. Derek Tran scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Chuong V. Vo at 56, as of October 9, 2026. Derek Tran's highest marks are command of the job and showing up. Chuong V. Vo's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in California's 45th Congressional District in 2026?
Derek Tran (Democratic, incumbent), Chuong V. Vo (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Derek Tran a good candidate for Congress?
Derek Tran scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 88 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Chuong V. Vo a good candidate for Congress?
Chuong V. Vo scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every California race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the California 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.