Derek Tran maintained his lead over Rep. Michelle Steel in the highly competitive race for California’s 45th congressional district on Tuesday, still one of the closest House contests in the nation. Tran, a Democrat and Orange-based attorney, increased his advantage to 613 votes, adding another 32 votes to his lead from Monday’s tally.

Democrat Derek Tran has defeated Republican incumbent Michelle Steel for a House seat representing California’s Orange County and Los Angeles, NBC News projects, after a contentious race that centered on the candidates’ Asian American identities and use of aggressive anti-China messaging.

The 45th District was among the country's most competitive races, critical to both parties as they battled to control the House of Representatives