Kathy Tran

Kathy Tran
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 10, 2018
Preceded byDave Albo
Constituency42nd district (2018–2024)
18th district (2024–present)
Personal details
Born1978 (age 47–48)
Vietnam
PartyDemocratic
SpouseMatthew Reisman
Children5
Alma materDuke University (BA)
University of Michigan (MSW)

Kathy Tran (born 1978) is an American politician who currently serves in the Virginia House of Delegates. A Democrat, she represents the 18th House of Delegates district.

Early life and career

Born in Vietnam, Tran and her parents fled as boat refugees when she was seven months old.[1] She graduated from Duke University and earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan.[2] After graduating, she worked at the Department of Labor for 12 years.[2] She then worked for the advocacy group National Immigration Forum.[3]

House of Delegates

Elections

Tran decided to run for the House in 2017 after the election of Donald Trump.[4][5] She ran in the 42nd district, which was then an open seat after Republican Delegate Dave Albo announced his retirement following his 24 year tenure as a Delegate.[6] She faced retired social worker Tilly Blanding in the June 2017 Democratic primary and won with 54 percent of the vote.[7]

Tran faced Republican Lolita Mancheno-Smoak, an engineer and Ecuadorian immigrant, in the general election.[8] Republicans accused Democrats of racist smears after the Democratic Party of Virginia sent a mailer to voters depicting Mancheno-Smoak's face next to images of a werewolf and a hockey mask reminiscent of a horror movie with the headline, "This Halloween season, protect your family from the scariest threats."[9] Tran denied that the mailer was racist, saying, "The mailer highlights the frankly scary policies that my opponent supports that would threaten funding for schools, threaten access to affordable health care, and threaten funding for Planned Parenthood. This is what is at stake in our election."[9] Tran defeated Mancheno-Smoak in the general election, receiving 61% of the vote.[10]

In 2025, Tran defeated Republican candidate Ed McGovern, whom she previously ran against in 2023, in her re-election campaign and received 72.22% of the vote.[11]

Tenure

Tran and Kelly Convirs-Fowler were the first Asian-American women to be elected to Virginia's House of Delegates in November 2017.[12] She is the first Vietnamese American elected to state government in the Commonwealth.[13]

In November 2023, Tran was selected as the Democratic Caucus Chair in the Virginia House of Delegates.[14]

Policy positions

Abortion

Main article: Repeal Act (Virginia)

On the first day of the 2019 legislative session, Tran introduced the Repeal Act, a bill that would have reduced the number of physicians required to approve a third-term abortion in Virginia (from three to one), and lower the threshold for approval to "any medical reason" from the previous requirement of the pregnant woman being “substantially and irredeemably” harmed by continuing the pregnancy.[15][16][17] The bill would have also allowed second-trimester abortions to be performed in clinics instead of hospitals and would remove the requirement that an ultrasound be performed before an abortion.[15][18][19] The bill drew accusations from Republicans of attempting to legalize infanticide, with Tran receiving death threats against herself and her family.[16][3] The bill failed to pass the state legislature.[16][20]

Immigration

In 2020, Tran introduced a bill to allow immigrants to obtain a driver's license regardless of legal status.[21]

Labor

In 2021, Tran co-sponsored a bill to add military service members and their families as a protected class, banning discrimination in housing and employment based on military status.[22]

In 2024,[23] 2025,[24] and 2026, Tran introduced a bill to repeal the ban on public sector and home health workers from collective bargaining.[25][26]

Electoral history

Democratic Primary, 42nd House of Delegates District, June 13, 2017[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Tran 3,977 53.64
Democratic Tilly Blanding 3,437 46.36
Total votes 7,414 100
42nd House of Delegates District, General Election, November 7, 2017[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Tran 18,761 60.97
Republican Lolita Mancheno-Smoak 11,967 38.89
Independent Write-in candidates 45 0.15
Total votes 30,773 100
42nd House of Delegates District, General Election, November 5, 2019[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Tran 16,167 59.66
Republican Steve Adragna 10,903 40.23
Independent Write-in candidates 30 0.11
Total votes 27,100 100
42nd House of Delegates District, General Election, November 2, 2021[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Tran 21,374 60.0
Republican Ed McGovern 14,186 39.8
Independent Write-in candidates 56 0.2
Total votes 35,616 100
18th House of Delegates District, General Election, November 7, 2023[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Tran 15,973 65.58
Republican Ed McGovern 8,293 34.05
Independent Write-in candidates 90 0.4
Total votes 24,356 100
18th House of Delegates District, General Election, November 4, 2025[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Tran 24,582 72.22
Republican Ed McGovern 9,387 27.58
Independent Write-in candidates 68 0.2
Total votes 34,037 100

Personal life

Tran is married and the mother of five children.[33]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kathy Tran for Delegate". Kathy Tran for Delegate. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Chen, Lily (August 29, 2017). "Virginia Candidate Kathy Tran and Her Passion for Public Service". Asian Fortune. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Olivo, Antonio (January 31, 2019). "Del. Kathy Tran was known for nursing her baby on the House floor. Now she's getting death threats over abortion". Washington Post. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  4. ^ Marans, Daniel (March 29, 2017). "Donald Trump's Election Could Be A Windfall For Virginia Democrats". HuffPost. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  5. ^ McCammon, Sarah (March 8, 2018). "Statehouses Have A Ways To Go To Accommodate New Moms". NPR. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  6. ^ Moomaw, Graham (April 5, 2017). "Del. Dave Albo, head of House courts, won't seek re-election". Roanoke Times. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  7. ^ Iacone, Amanda (June 13, 2017). "Pr. William Co. backs Stewart; N.Va. Democrats support Northam". WTOP. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  8. ^ Pope, Michael Lee (September 21, 2017). "A Tale of Two Immigrants". Connection Newspapers. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Nirappil, Fenit (October 24, 2017). "Mailers against Virginia Latina candidates have both parties alleging racial insensitivity". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  10. ^ Nirappil, Fenit (November 8, 2017). "Democrats make significant gains in Virginia legislature; control of House in play". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  11. ^ "Kathy Tran". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  12. ^ Park, Madison (November 8, 2017). "Election night brings historic wins for minority and LGBT. candidates". CNN. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  13. ^ Ilustre, Jennie L. (November 14, 2017). "Kathy Tran, Kelly Fowler – 1st Asian American Women In Virginia State Assembly". Asian Fortune. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  14. ^ Vogelsong, Sarah (November 15, 2023). "Who Virginia Dems and the GOP picked to lead them in the 2024 General Assembly". Virginia Mercury. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  15. ^ a b Sarah Jones (January 31, 2019). "Here Are the Facts Behind an Abortion Controversy Engulfing Virginia Democrats". Daily Intelligencer. New York. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  16. ^ a b c Gregory S. Schneider; Laura Vozzella (January 30, 2019). "Abortion bill draws GOP outrage against Va. Gov. Northam, Democratic legislators". Washington Post. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  17. ^ Alan Suderman (January 30, 2019). "Virginia abortion feud erupts; governor blasted for comments". Washington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  18. ^ Arianna Coghill; Emily Holter (January 18, 2019). "Northam, top state officials vow to protect women's reproductive rights". The Virginia Gazette. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  19. ^ "HB 2491 Abortion; eliminate certain requirements". lis.virginia.gov. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  20. ^ Graham Moomaw (January 30, 2019). "UPDATED: Trump reacts after Va. Republicans share video of lawmaker backing late-term abortions; Democrats call it an 'orchestrated ambush'". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  21. ^ "Bill advances to grant undocumented immigrants driver's licenses". Virginia Mercury. February 6, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  22. ^ Lara, Paul (August 11, 2021). "Military personnel protected under new state law". InsideNOVA. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  23. ^ Dodson, Joe (January 24, 2024). "Virginia public employees plead for expansion of collective bargaining rights". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  24. ^ O'Connor, Michael (August 28, 2025). "Virginia lawmaker backs bill to extend collective bargaining to civil servants". VA Dogwood. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  25. ^ O'Connor, Michael (February 17, 2026). "Virginia lawmakers pass bills to expand collective bargaining rights to public workers". VA Dogwood. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  26. ^ Woods, Charlotte Rene (January 21, 2026). "Home health workers, 'backbone' of public health work, support collective bargaining legislation". Virginia Mercury. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  27. ^ "2017 June Democratic Primary - Official Results". Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  28. ^ "2017 November General - Official Results". Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  29. ^ "Virginia Election Results: November 5, 2019".
  30. ^ "2021 November General". results.elections.virginia.gov. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  31. ^ "Virginia Elections Database » 2023 House of Delegates General Election District 18". Virginia Elections Database. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  32. ^ "2025 November General Election Results". Virginia Election Night Reporting. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  33. ^ "Meet Kathy". Kathy Tran for Delegate. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
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