Alleged ties to communists surface in close race for congress

Republican Michelle Steel is sending out campaign mailers accusing her Vietnamese American democratic opponent Derek Tran of ties to the communist party, the Los Angeles Times reports.

In a California congressional district in Orange County with the largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam, approximately 16%, such accusations can be detrimental among a population with a history of running away from communism after the fall of Saigon.

 “It is very disappointing that an Asian American candidate is using red-baiting tactics.” said Cynthia Choi, co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action and co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate.

Steel has a history of leveling such charges as she also falsely accused her 2022 opponent Jay Chen of being a communist. Asian American community leaders condemned the tactic in 2022 as they are in 2024.

Connie Chung Joe, CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California says the tactic “really preys on the historical trauma that Vietnamese immigrants in this country have.”

The race is considered a tight one and has been the focus of both parties as the battle for control of the House heats up. Democrats are counting on Tran to help them flip the House to Democratic control. It has been called one of the “most competitive and closely-watched races” this November by the Orange County Register.

The race had been handicapped as “leaning Republican” by several analysts, but has since moved to the “toss up” category as polls have tightened.

In an interview with AsAmNews, Tran said “This community is motivated to elect a Vietnamese American to Congress so they have a voice for the first time in the 49 years since they’ve been in this country. They’re hungry for representation, and I’m ready to serve all of my districts, including the Vietnamese Americans that share the similar stories and background that I grew up with.”

Steel has not responded to AsAmNews requests for an interview. 

However, she recently blasted an ad from the Tran campaign highlighting a Wall Street Journal story that shows he invited several Chinese leaders including one from the government to a party in 2017. Steel says her husband never received any money from his guests.

“Since May, crybaby Derek Tran has leveled false and despicable attacks on Michelle Steel’s family, even putting a CCP flag in his own advertising, but now sobs when our campaign accurately highlights his connections to Communist China,” said Lance Trover, a Steel spokesman.