Two ASPIRE PAC Candidates Added to DCCC’s Red to Blue List

Dave Min (CA-47) and Derek Tran (CA-45) Join Lanon Baccam (IA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – ASPIRE PAC congratulates ASPIRE-endorsed candidates Dave Min, running in California’s 47th District against Republican Scott Baugh, and Derek Tran, running in California’s 45th District against Republican Michelle Steel, on their addition to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red to Blue List, the top-tier most competitive races in the country. Min and Tran join Lanon Baccam, running in Iowa’s 3rd District against Zach Nunn. ASPIRE PAC Chair Grace Meng released the following statement:

“As Democrats look to retake the House majority in November, our AANHPI candidates will be key to our success. Lanon Baccam, Dave Min, and Derek Tran have run strong campaigns and represent the growing political power of our AANHPI community. Our leaders should look like the communities they represent and we must do our part to ensure more Asian Americans have a seat at the table where decisions are made. We need to give Lanon, Dave, and Derek the support they need to be a part of our winning coalition because we need the leadership and values they will bring to Congress.” 

California State Senator Dave Min, the only Korean-American in the California state legislature, has proven himself an incredibly effective legislative leader in the Senate, authoring 16 bills signed into law by the Governor, including leading legislation on hate crimes, gun violence prevention, family safety, and women’s reproductive rights. Min serves as Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and as Senate Vice Chair of the Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. Elected in 2020, Min, a former business law professor at UC Irvine, unseated a longtime Orange County Republican to represent the more than 1.1 million residents of California’s 37th Senate District. SD-37 includes more than 80% of the 47th Congressional District Min is running to represent.

Derek Tran is the son of refugees who fled the Communist regime in Vietnam so that their children could realize the American Dream in Southern California. At the age of 18, Derek enlisted in the Army to give back to the country that had given him and his family so much. After serving in the military, Derek went to law school to uphold the liberties, individual rights, and the rule of law his parents immigrated to America for. Turning down high-paying jobs in corporate law, Derek chose to open up his small business in Orange County and fight for immigrants, workers, survivors of sexual harassment, and consumers. Derek and his wife run a brick-and-mortar pharmacy, and during the pandemic, they helped local businesses and restaurants keep their doors open and their employees safe through vaccinations and COVID-19 testing.

In 1980, Lanon Baccam’s parents came to Iowa from Laos and worked at the Mackay Envelope factory. Lanon was born and raised in Mt. Pleasant, and at age 17, enlisted in the Iowa National Guard to give back to the state and country that gave him so much. In the wake of 9/11, Lanon answered the call to serve his country. As an Iowa National Guardsman, Lanon was activated and deployed to Afghanistan in 2004 as a combat engineer, focusing on explosive demolitions and force protection in and around Kandahar. Following his service in the Army, Lanon used the GI Bill to attend Drake University and later served in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack.

Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Rising & Empowering Political Action Committee (ASPIRE PAC) is the political arm of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Members of Congress. ASPIRE PAC is committed to supporting candidates of AAPI descent and incumbents who represent large communities of AAPI voters. According to the 2020 census, the AAPI community is the fastest-growing demographic in the country. In addition, in 2020 the AAPI community increased its voter turnout more than any other community of color. There are currently 21 AAPI Members of Congress, including two U.S. Senators, and two new Members of Congress – Shri Thanedar (MI-13) and Jill Tokuda (HI-02).

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