Min Leads Likely Republican Opponent Scott Baugh +7 (43-36)
Source: Dave Min for Congress
Last week, a new poll released by Public Policy Polling among likely General Election voters in California’s 47th Congressional District showed State Senator Dave Min in a strong position to defeat likely Republican nominee Scott Baugh in 2024.
Voters responded overwhelmingly to Min’s unique story. The son of Korean immigrants, Min has a record of service as a former Law Enforcement Attorney for the SEC and as a current State Senator who represents 85% of the Congressional District. After the candidate’s biographies are read, Min leads Baugh by +4 (41-37), and expands his leads to +7 (43-36) after negative messaging is introduced.
Outlets reported on the results last week. Andrew Sheeler from The Sacramento Bee reported that “…State Sen. Dave Min’s campaign to replace Irvine Democratic Congresswoman Katie Porter next year appears to be holding strong.” The Daily Kos continued that, in the head-to-head between Min and Baugh, “the memo says that Min pulls ahead after respondents hear about each of their biographies.”
Min’s recent DUI flatlined with voters as a salient attack. When likely voters were informed about Scott Baugh's negatives, namely that he has faced more than 20 criminal charges for perjury and campaign finance violations, 65% of likely voters thought this was a convincing reason to vote against him, and 49% found this very convincing.
By way of comparison, while Min's DUI earlier this year caused some observers to question his viability as a candidate, the poll found that this incident was clearly not a significant factor for voters. Only 19% of likely voters found this to be a very convincing line of attack, while 47% found this not at all convincing. After voters were informed about the negative messages for both candidates, Min’s lead grew from 4% to 7%.
The news of the public polling comes on the heels of Min announcing the endorsement from the largest local law enforcement association in California, adding to his impressive coalition of support which includes 125 local, state, and federal leaders, SEIU, the California Federation of Teachers and the Congressional Asian Pacific Islander Caucus’ ASPIRE PAC in endorsing Dave Min for Congress in California’s 47th Congressional District.
Senator Min, the only Korean-American in the state legislature, serves as Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and as Senate Vice Chair of the Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. Min, who was formerly a law professor at UC Irvine School of Law and has three children in Irvine public schools, also serves on the Senate’s Budget Subcommittee for Education, which oversees all budget funding for California’s public schools, community colleges, the California State University system, and the University of California system.
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, and procuring over $70 million in direct appropriations for priorities in his district, including for fire response, parks and open spaces, and climate innovation. 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 sits on two key environmental committees, chairing the Natural Resources and Water Committee and serving on the Energy and Utilities Committee, as well as the Budget Committee, the Budget Subcommittee for Education, the Judiciary Committee, and the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee. Senator Min previously served as Chair of the Select Committee on Cybersecurity.
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 Stoever, a UC Irvine law professor who specializes in domestic violence and family law, and their three children in Irvine. Dave is a native Californian, a product of California public schools who graduated from the Wharton School and Harvard Law School, and an Eagle Scout.
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