[5] She faced retired social worker Tilly Blanding in the June 2017 Democratic primary and won with 54 percent of the vote.
[7] 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.
[citation needed] She currently serves on the Privileges and Elections and the Science and Technology committees in the Virginia House of Delegates.
[citation needed] 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.
The bill failed to pass the state legislature, but video of Tran's exchange with Gilbert went viral after being shared by conservative media outlets.