About Dean
One of just a handful of Americans who are of Vietnamese descent to be elected to public office in the United States, the first Vietnamese-American to hold an elected office in Massachusetts, the only Asian born state Senator, and the first minority from his district elected to the Legislature, Senator Tran is a prudent fiscal conservative. He is an advocate for fiscal discipline and low taxes; placing the importance of the taxpayers as one of his top priorities. Senator Tran is a stronger believer in serving the people and always put the community first.
Senator Tran was born in Saigon, Vietnam and emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of 4. A son of an army soldier and a successful business family in Vietnam, he knows how it is to start from the bottom and work his way up. His family sacrificed every possession they had in order to flee from the communist country and achieve freedom. After fleeing Vietnam, Senator Tran’s family spent 2 years in a refugee camp while waiting for their application for green cards to be approved. In 1980, he and his family were sponsored by a Catholic priest in Clinton, Massachusetts where he called his first real home. In 1986, his family relocated to Fitchburg, Massachusetts where he graduated from Fitchburg High School. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Brandeis University.
In 2005, Senator Tran became the first minority to be elected to the City Council in Fitchburg, MA. After 12 years as a City Councilor At-Large, in a 2017 special election, he became the first Vietnamese-American elected to the Massachusetts State Legislature and becoming the minority elected in his district to the State Senate. In November, 2018 general election, Senator Tran was convincingly re-elected to the Massachusetts State Senate. He also has over 23 years of experience in the private sector including managing employees and projects on three different continents and responsible for products producing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.
Senator Tran’s senatorial district comprise of Berlin, Bolton, Precincts 1 & 2 of Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Sterling, Townsend and Westminster in North Central Massachusetts.
In his community, Senator Tran serves on the Corporator Board for the Central Massachusetts YMCA and formerly sat on the Executive Board for the Boy Scouts of America, NVC, and the Board of Trustee for Mount Wachusett Community College prior to becoming a State Senator.
At the State House, Senator Tran serves as the Assistant Minority Whip and sits on the Joint Committee on Way and Means, Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, Joint Committee on Transportation, Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, Joint Committee on Higher Education, Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy, and Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Post Audit and Oversight. In addition, he also serves on the Legislative Transportation Working Group, Brain Injury Commission, and Gaming Policy Advisory Committee.
In his spare time, Senator Tran likes to spend time with his family and volunteer coaches Youth Basketball, Soccer, Baseball and Flag Football. He is married to Kerry and they have four beautiful children, Isabelle, 21, Olivia, 16 and Madilyn, 10, and Dean 8.
An American citizen and a true patriot, hard work, commitment, dedication, accountability and the respect for the American flag are the qualities that make Senator Tran the person he is today.
Senator Tran was born in Saigon, Vietnam and emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of 4. A son of an army soldier and a successful business family in Vietnam, he knows how it is to start from the bottom and work his way up. His family sacrificed every possession they had in order to flee from the communist country and achieve freedom. After fleeing Vietnam, Senator Tran’s family spent 2 years in a refugee camp while waiting for their application for green cards to be approved. In 1980, he and his family were sponsored by a Catholic priest in Clinton, Massachusetts where he called his first real home. In 1986, his family relocated to Fitchburg, Massachusetts where he graduated from Fitchburg High School. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Brandeis University.
In 2005, Senator Tran became the first minority to be elected to the City Council in Fitchburg, MA. After 12 years as a City Councilor At-Large, in a 2017 special election, he became the first Vietnamese-American elected to the Massachusetts State Legislature and becoming the minority elected in his district to the State Senate. In November, 2018 general election, Senator Tran was convincingly re-elected to the Massachusetts State Senate. He also has over 23 years of experience in the private sector including managing employees and projects on three different continents and responsible for products producing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.
Senator Tran’s senatorial district comprise of Berlin, Bolton, Precincts 1 & 2 of Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Sterling, Townsend and Westminster in North Central Massachusetts.
In his community, Senator Tran serves on the Corporator Board for the Central Massachusetts YMCA and formerly sat on the Executive Board for the Boy Scouts of America, NVC, and the Board of Trustee for Mount Wachusett Community College prior to becoming a State Senator.
At the State House, Senator Tran serves as the Assistant Minority Whip and sits on the Joint Committee on Way and Means, Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, Joint Committee on Transportation, Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, Joint Committee on Higher Education, Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy, and Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Post Audit and Oversight. In addition, he also serves on the Legislative Transportation Working Group, Brain Injury Commission, and Gaming Policy Advisory Committee.
In his spare time, Senator Tran likes to spend time with his family and volunteer coaches Youth Basketball, Soccer, Baseball and Flag Football. He is married to Kerry and they have four beautiful children, Isabelle, 21, Olivia, 16 and Madilyn, 10, and Dean 8.
An American citizen and a true patriot, hard work, commitment, dedication, accountability and the respect for the American flag are the qualities that make Senator Tran the person he is today.
