California Congressional District 45 election voter guide
TranThe 45-year-old attorney and U.S. Army veteran runs a pharmacy with his wife, Michelle. He is the son of refugees who fled communist Vietnam and grew up in the San Gabriel Valley.
Tran’s first term included small victories for his constituents, including helping shorten processing times for small businesses and individuals seeking Social Security. Total small business loan payments of $5 million this yearreported the office. He also distributed $1 million to the city. Cypress for flood prevention infrastructure.
He also defended the bills. Like the Warrior CodeCoding a woman’s ability to serve in combat in the Armed Forces. He and Republican Rep. Don Bacon (Neb.) also co-authored this book. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Protection from Foreign Interference ActAiming to protect such assets against hacking and cyber warfare.
Tom Vo He was born in Vietnam, served as a fighter pilot in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, and moved to Southern California as a refugee after the Vietnam War. He opened a taekwondo studio in various locations in Southern California and also worked as a real estate agent.
Chi Charlie Nguyen, The mayor of Westminster previously served as a City Council member and a board member of the city’s waste management service.
Nguyen, 61, said he fled Vietnam at age 14 after his father was taken to a “re-education camp.”
“America gave me the opportunity to achieve my dreams, raise a family, build a career, and serve my community,” he said in an email. “That’s why I’m running for Congress to give back and fight against the radical left wing, which sometimes makes me wonder if I’m living in a communist country again.”
Chuong Vo He served as mayor of Cerritos from 2020 to 2025, while he was a city council member. Vo, 50, recently retired after working as an officer with the Torrance Police Department since 1999.
He said on his campaign website that he sees himself as a natural problem solver and has been asked to run by friends and community leaders.
“I planned my retirement by spending more time with my son during his final years of high school,” he said. he said in a statement. “Since then, crime has increased, costs have increased, and politics has become more brutal and less honest.”
Amy Phan West, The 45-year-old is the second member of the Westminster City Council to run for a congressional seat.
Phan West’s parents fled Vietnam on a fishing boat in 1985 and were granted asylum in the United States after spending two years in a refugee camp, according to the campaign website.
She and her husband, Jeremy, own a rental car business, and Republican Phan West said in her candidate’s statement that she “stood up to defend President Trump and the America First movement.”
Mark Leonard, The 36-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran and an operations analyst is running because he thinks this district deserves a candidate who “takes on everyone.”
He said that he shopped at the same stores as the families he spoke to and faced the same problems. His time in the Marine Corps taught him that leadership means putting others first, and that his background in business and analytics means learning to cut through the noise and focus on what really works.
Its three main problems are housing costs, job security and healthcare.
