The battle for the open seat in California’s 47th Congressional District pits Democratic Sen. Dave Min against Republican entrepreneur Scott Baugh in a race that both parties see as crucial in their battle for control of Congress.
The seat in the House of Representatives is currently held by Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, who will leave Congress in January. Her decision not to seek re-election and instead run for Senate, a bid that fell short in the March primary, set off a passionate battle to replace her. Porter narrowly defeated a challenge from Baugh in 2022.
In this affluent district that covers much of coastal Orange County, Democrats hold a slight voter registration lead over Republicans.
Who are the candidates?
Min, a former law professor at UC Irvine, has served in the Senate since 2020. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he worked as an enforcement attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission. He later served as an economic and financial policy adviser to Democratic Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, the current majority leader. He is endorsed by Porter and the California Democratic Party.
Min was arrested last year on suspicion of driving under the influence. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to three years of informal probation. In a Facebook post at the time, he apologized to his family and constituents and called his decision to get behind the wheel “irresponsible.”
Read more: California lawmaker Dave Min arrested for driving under the influence
During his time in the Senate, Min wrote or co-authored legislation that strengthened firearms laws, provided support for victims of human trafficking and expanded punishment for companies that commit environmental crimes. His legislative priorities include preventing gun violence, protecting reproductive rights, improving public safety, investing in public education and combating anti-Asian hate, according to his campaign website.
Baugh, who is endorsed by the Republican Party of California, led the Orange County GOP as chairman from 2004 to 2015. He graduated from Liberty University, where he studied business administration, before attending law school at McGeorge School of Law University of the Pacific. Law. The Huntington Beach attorney also served in the California Assembly from 1995 to 2000.
In 1999, Baugh agreed to pay a $47,900 civil penalty for nine violations of the state’s Political Reform Act, which stemmed from allegations of misconduct in his 1995 election to the Assembly.
On his campaign website, he lists securing the border, curbing government spending and banning stock trading by members of Congress as his priorities. He is also against new taxes or tax increases. Baugh has said he opposes abortion, with exceptions in cases of rape or incest and to protect the woman’s life.
Where is the district?
This affluent Orange County district runs along the coast from Seal Beach south to Laguna Beach and reaches inland to the cities of Costa Mesa and Irvine – including the UC Irvine campus – as well as parts of Laguna Hills and the Laguna Woods retirement community.
Proposition 36: Tougher Penalties for Certain Crimes
Min broke ranks with top Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, last summer by supporting Proposition 36, the November ballot initiative that would increase prison sentences for shoplifting and some drug crimes. The measure aims to roll back some aspects of Proposition 47 – a decade-old law that reclassifies certain non-violent crimes, including crimes related to theft and drug possession, as felonies.
“While well-intentioned, Proposition 47 has resulted in a wave of unintended consequences that have plagued our communities with a dramatic increase in shoplifting and robberies,” Min said in a statement. “We need to solve the problems with Prop 47 and the DA’s action will help do that.”
Read more: Your guide to Proposition 36: Tougher penalties for some drug and theft crimes
Baugh wrote on his campaign website that he also endorses Proposition 36. In July, after a tourist was killed in a botched robbery at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, he took to his social media accounts to emphasize that he sees a need for harsher punishments.
“We are seeing the consequences of soft-on-crime policies here in our community,” he wrote on X. “We must protect our neighborhoods, protect our families, and get tough on crime. It’s time to hold criminals accountable. breaking the law should be prosecuted and sent to prison.”
Climate policy
Min has said he considers climate change one of the country’s most pressing problems. After the 2021 Orange County oil spill, he authored legislation aimed at ending remaining offshore oil drilling leases in California waters. Min also sponsored a bill, which became law last year, to establish a statewide goal of conserving at least 30% of California’s land and coastal waters by 2030.
He hopes to implement “many of the changes we’re pushing for here in California at the federal level,” and has said promoting electric cars and solar and wind power isn’t enough.
In an election questionnaire published by the Orange County Register ahead of the primaries, Baugh said solutions to environmental problems should be tailored to the problems they seek to address, rather than with sweeping mandates that provide “theoretical results but not measurable solutions.” project.
“Scientific ingenuity, unencumbered by overly burdensome regulations, offers solutions such as carbon capture and storage technology that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” he said. In one video interview posted on X, Baugh said he doesn’t think more offshore drilling is needed, especially off the coast of Orange County.
Past coverage
Read more: Wealthier Asian American and Latino voters in Orange County could play a crucial role in the upcoming election
Read more: How an expensive Emily’s List bet went wrong in an Orange County congressional race
Read more: Six California House races that could help determine control of Congress
How and where to vote
Read more racing guides for California
More election news
Sign up for Essential California to get news, features, recommendations from the LA Times and more delivered to your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
