Derek Tran Unseats Michelle Steel in California's 45th District After 21-Day Vote Count

Nov 27, 2024, 08:19 PM

Democrat Derek Tran has defeated Republican incumbent Michelle Steel in California's 45th Congressional District, flipping a key Orange County seat after a closely contested race. With all ballots counted, Tran received 157,642 votes (50.09%), narrowly surpassing Steel's 157,053 votes (49.91%) by a margin of 589 votes. After three weeks of counting, Tran declared victory on November 26, leading by fewer than 600 votes, despite the Associated Press not yet calling the race. The Associated Press projected Tran as the winner on November 27, 21 days after Election Day. Steel subsequently released a concession statement that did not mention the election result or her opponent, stating, "Everything is God's will and, like all journeys, this one is ending for a new one to begin." Tran's victory marks a significant shift in the district, which has a large Vietnamese American population and was the focus of intense campaigning by both parties.