ASPIRE PAC Endorses Dave Min For Congress
The Political Arm of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Represents 19 U.S. Representatives and 2 U.S. Senators
IRVINE, CA —Today, Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Rising & Empowering Political Action Committee (ASPIRE PAC), which is the political arm of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Members of Congress, endorsed California State Senator Dave Min (SD-37) for Congress in California’s 47th (CA-47) Congressional District.
Min, who launched his campaign last week with the strong endorsement of incumbent Representative Katie Porter, is currently the only Korean-American in the California State Legislature, and Vice Chair of the API Legislative Caucus. CA-47 has a large Korean American community, as well as one of the largest Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities of any congressional district in the country.
“Orange County and California’s 47th Congressional District are home to one of the largest and most vibrant AAPI communities across the country, and they deserve to be represented by someone that understands their values and the issues they face,” said ASPIRE PAC Chair Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06). “During his time in the California State Senate, Dave Min has authored legislation to fight back against anti-Asian hate, fought for common sense gun safety legislation to keep families safe, and stood up to protect women’s health rights. ASPIRE is proud to endorse Dave Min for Congress because he can be trusted to be an advocate not only for the AAPI community, but for all the constituents in his district. ”
ASPIRE PAC is committed to supporting candidates of AAPI descent and incumbents who represent large communities of AAPI voters. The AAPI community is the fastest-growing community of color in the country. In 2022, ASPIRE PAC made significant investments in California, Nevada, and Georgia to engage and mobilize AAPI voters, and in the midterm elections the AAPI community increased its voter turnout by 20.4%, including 33.6% in battleground states. There are currently 21 AAPI Members of Congress, including two U.S. Senators, and two new Members of Congress – Shri Thanedar (MI-13) and Jill Tokuda (HI-02).
“As the son of Korean immigrants who came to California and realized the American Dream, I am incredibly grateful for ASPIRE’s commitment, and record, of bringing AAPI voices to Congress,” said State Senator Min. “Throughout my career I have sought to protect and preserve the pathway to opportunity that hard work and the American Dream provided my family. As the AAPI community faces daunting bigotry and violence, I have been proud to champion hate crime legislation in California, and lend my voice alongside Congressional and local leaders who have spoken loudly and forcefully to end AAPI hate. As the father of three young children, I will continue to fight for AAPI representation in government, and be a voice for all Orange County families.”
Senator Min has proven himself an incredibly effective legislative leader in the Senate, authoring 16 bills signed into law by the Governor, including leading legislation on hate crimes, gun violence prevention, family safety, and women’s reproductive rights. In the wake of the 2021 Huntington Beach Oil Spill, he stood up to the oil industry and led efforts to end offshore drilling. Min serves as Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and as Senate Vice Chair of the Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. He previously chaired the Senate Cybersecurity Select Committee.
Before entering the State Senate, Min was a law professor at UC Irvine, where he taught and researched in the area of business law. He resides with his wife Jane, a UC Irvine law professor who specializes in domestic violence and family law, and their three children in Irvine.
California’s 47th is an open Congressional District in Orange County that includes the Cities of Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach, and Seal Beach, and portions of Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, and Laguna Woods. Incumbent Katie Porter is vacating the seat to run for U.S. Senate. In 2022, Porter defeated former Assemblymember Republican Scott Baugh by 3.44% in this “toss-up” district. State Senator Dave Min currently represents over 80% of Congressional District 47 in Sacramento. In 2020, Min received over 158,000 votes within CA-47, defeating incumbent John Moorlach by 4.3%. 19% of the registered voters in CA-47 are of Asian and Pacific Islander descent, including one of the largest Korean-American populations in the country.
