Dave Min Added To DCCC 'Red to Blue' Program
IRVINE, CA — On the heels of a commanding primary election win in California’s 47th Congressional District, State Senator Dave Min has been named to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)'s targeted 'Red to Blue' program, making clear that his campaign should be considered a top priority for donors, activists, and party leaders. Rep. Katie Porter, the outgoing incumbent who endorsed Senator Min to succeed her early last year, narrowly won this seat by only 3 points in 2022, making CA-47 the most competitive House race in the country, with Republicans having already identified this race as their top priority for 2024.
Min, who currently represents over 80% of CA-47 in the State Senate, has a proven track record of winning in Orange County, having defeated a longstanding Republican incumbent in 2020 and becoming the first Democrat to represent the region in the State Senate. Senator Min has been a champion on women’s reproductive rights, gun safety, and climate justice in the California Legislature, and he has also been a stalwart leader on public safety and education issues, earning the endorsements of Orange County’s Police Officers, Deputy Sheriffs, Firefighters, and Teachers.
A former University of California Irvine Law Professor, Min has spent his career in public service fighting for the American Dream. After graduating from Harvard Law School right after the Enron and Worldcom accounting scandals, Min turned down high-paying corporate law jobs to instead prosecute corporate fraud at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He went on to serve as an economic policy director on Capitol Hill, fighting for economic fairness and opportunity during the height of the mortgage crisis, before coming back home to California to teach at what was then a brand new law school at UC Irvine.
“As the son of Korean immigrants who would not be here but for the sacrifice of 36,000 American GIs during the Korean War, I have spent my career fighting to preserve and defend the American Dream,” said State Senator Dave Min. “I am running for Congress because our most cherished American values are now under grave threat. The stakes of this election could not be higher, but I am battle-tested and ready to win, and the Red to Blue recognition gives us even more momentum in this race.”
Senator Min is set to face off against Republican Scott Baugh, a career politician who has been a lobbyist and perennial Congressional candidate for the past 25 years, losing in 2018 and 2022. The differences between Min and Baugh could not be starker. While Scott Baugh began his career as a corrupt State Assemblymember, engaging in campaign finance fraud, perjury, and obstruction of justice, which led to his being indicted for 22 criminal charges (including 4 felony counts), Dave Min began his career cracking down on corporate fraud and corruption as an SEC prosecutor. While Baugh has embraced whackjob conspiracy theories associated with white nationalism, stating that “wokeness” was a more dangerous threat to America’s security than 9/11 or World War II, Min has repeatedly celebrated diversity and stood up against hate in Orange County. And while Baugh has made clear that he would support a total abortion ban, without exceptions, even in the case of rape, incest, or danger to a woman’s life, Min has earned a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood and authored eight leading domestic violence bills into law.
###
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. 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 5.15% in this area. 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.