Tran was born in Saigon, since renamed Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam into a successful business family.

After fleeing Vietnam by boat, Tran’s family spent two years in a refugee camp in while waiting for their application for green cards to be approved.

His senatorial district comprises Berlin, Bolton, Precincts 1 & 2 of Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Sterling, Townsend and Westminster in north central Massachusetts.

[10] On February 2, 2022 Tran officially kicked off his campaign to challenge Lori Trahan in the 2022 Midterm election for the 3rd congressional district.

[18][19] In June 2023, Tran's home was raided by the FBI as part of a federal investigation unrelated to the firearm charges.

This led to his arrest on November 17, 2023 on 25 federal wire fraud charges for fraudulently claiming $30,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits, as well as well as three counts of willfully filing false tax returns.

[23] Tran's daughter, Olivia, ran for a vacant Fitchburg City Council Ward 6 seat in November 2021.