California House race flips to narrow lead for Dem amid weekslong vote count

Votes are inactive being counted successful California 2 weeks aft the election, and a Democratic challenger successful a cardinal U.S. House contention has conscionable taken the pb against the Republican incumbent.

With 94% of the votes counted, Democrat Derek Tran present leads GOP Rep. Michelle Steel by 102 votes successful California’s 45th Congressional District aft Steel had maintained a pb since Election Day. 

Steel, calved successful Seoul, South Korea, and raised successful Japan, has represented the 45th District since 2023 and represented the 48th Congressional District earlier that, from 2021 to 2023.

The territory spreads across Los Angeles County and Orange County and includes the cities of Cerritos, Garden Grove, Buena Park and parts of Brea, Lakewood and Fullerton. 

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GOP Rep. Michelle Steel, left, and challenger Derek Tran, right (Getty Images)

"I americium truthful thankful to each those who proceed to enactment our run arsenic we number the remaining votes successful #CA45," Tran posted connected X Monday. "Over 10,000 lawfully formed ballots are outstanding, and we beryllium it to each Californian to guarantee their dependable is heard."

A triumph for Tran, the lad of Vietnamese refugees, would beryllium a important flip for Democrats, who volition not power the House successful January but are attempting to spot distant astatine a Republican borderline that stands astatine 218 to 212 with respective races inactive to beryllium called.

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Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Huntington Beach, speaks to supporters astatine her run bureau successful Buena Park, Calif., Sept. 26, 2022. (Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

President-elect Trump endorsed Steel successful October, calling her 1 of the nation's "strongest congresswomen."

The contention betwixt Steel and Tran was the astir costly House contention successful the state with much than $46 cardinal spent, LAist reported.

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Democratic legislature campaigner Derek Tran spoke connected Jon Lovett's podcast "Lovett oregon Leave It." (YouTube screenshot)

Five House races person yet to beryllium called crossed the country. Democrats pb successful 2 of them, and Republicans pb successful three.

In summation to California's 45th, Democrats pb successful Ohio's 9th Congressional District, wherever incumbent Rep. Marcy Kaptur is up by astir 1,000 votes with 99% of ballots counted. 

Republicans clasp leads successful Iowa's 1st Congressional District, California's 13th District and Alaska's At-Large Congressional District. 

The Steel run did not respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment.