Governor Gavin Newsom Endorses Dave Min for Congress

IRVINE, CA — On the heels of a commanding primary election win in California’s 47th Congressional District, Governor Gavin Newsom is throwing his full support behind Dave Min in what is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched House races of the 2024 cycle. The campaign is a top priority for national Democrats and Republicans, with Rep. Katie Porter, the outgoing incumbent who endorsed Senator Min to succeed her early last year, narrowly winning the seat by 3 points in 2022.

"In this pivotal moment for our state and our nation, we need proven leaders who not only understand the challenges we face, but are prepared to tackle them head-on,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “Dave Min is such a leader. Dave has fought tirelessly to expand economic opportunities for all Californians.  His efforts to ban offshore drilling and pass smart gun safety legislation are a testament to his ability to address our environmental and public safety challenges effectively. I am proud to endorse Dave Min for Congress."

Senator Min, representing over 80% of CA-47 in the State Senate, brings a solid track record of victories in Orange County. His 2020 win over a long-standing Republican incumbent marked him as the first Democrat to represent the region in the State Senate. In office, Senator Min has been a champion of 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 dedicated his career to public service, aiming to safeguard the American Dream. After graduating from Harvard Law School amidst the Enron and Worldcom accounting scandals, Min chose the path of public service over lucrative corporate law positions, instead joining the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to prosecute corporate fraud. His journey continued as an economic policy director on Capitol Hill, where he advocated for economic fairness and opportunity during the peak of the mortgage crisis, eventually returning to California to teach at the nascent law school at UC Irvine.

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.

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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.