Incumbent Derek Tran (D) and Chuong Vo (R) are running in the general election for California's 45th Congressional District on November 3, 2026.

The election is taking place in the context of redistricting that changed the boundaries of the 45th District from those used in the 2024 election. Inside Elections' Nathaniel Rakich said, "[The district] adds a few more Democratic areas of Los Angeles County to go from D+1 to D+5, although it should remain competitive; the Republican candidates for attorney general, controller, and treasurer in 2022 all would have carried the new version of this seat."

In the top-two primary, Tran received 52.5% of the vote and Vo and four other Republicans received a combined 47.5%. As of August 2026, major election forecasters rated the general election Likely Democratic, Lean Democratic, or Tilt Democratic.

Tran was first elected in 2024. He earlier worked as an attorney and policy analyst. Tran's campaign website says, "I’m running for Congress to put people ahead of politics, protect our democracy, and ensure everyone, no matter what neighborhood they come from has the opportunity to succeed without fear of their freedoms being taken away."

Vo is a retired member of the Torrance Police Department. He served on the Cerritos City Council between 2020 and 2025. Vo's campaign website says, "I’ve spent nearly three decades answering 911 calls in the middle of the night, and I’ve helped improve public policies and balance budgets at my city. [sic] I’m running for Congress to focus on doing the basics well: keep families safe, lower costs, and hold all levels of government accountable."

As of June 30, 2026, Tran had raised $4.98 million and Vo had raised $496,000.

The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 120th Congress. All 435 U.S. House districts are up for election.

Currently, Republicans have a 219-212 majority with four vacancies in the chamber.