# Dave Min

David Kunnghee Min (born March 5, 1976) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative from California's 47th congressional district since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the 37th district in the California State Senate from 2020 to 2024, which includes portions of Orange County. He was an assistant law professor at the University of California, Irvine prior to being elected to office.
Min ran in the 2018 election to represent California's 45th congressional district but was defeated in the nonpartisan blanket primary by incumbent Congresswoman Mimi Walters and fellow UC Irvine professor Katie Porter, who went on to defeat Walters in the general election. He was elected to the state senate in the 2020 elections after defeating Costa Mesa mayor and future Orange County Board of Supervisors member Katrina Foley in the primary and then by narrowly defeating incumbent Republican John Moorlach in the November election.
Min defeated Republican nominee Scott Baugh in the 2024 election to represent California's 47th congressional district.

## Early life and career

Min was born on March 5, 1976, in Providence, Rhode Island, and raised in Palo Alto, California. His parents immigrated to the United States from South Korea in 1972 to pursue doctoral degrees at Brown University. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, earning bachelor of science in economics from the Wharton School and a bachelor of arts in philosophy from the School of Arts and Sciences, both in 1999. He then attended Harvard Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 2002.
After graduating from Harvard Law School, Min worked in financial regulation as a staff attorney at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Banking Committee counsel for Senator Chuck Schumer, and counsel and senior policy advisor for the Joint Economic Committee. He joined the Center for American Progress, a left-wing think tank, in 2009 as its associate director for financial markets policy and supervisor of its Mortgage Finance Working Group.
He became an assistant law professor at the University of California, Irvine in 2012 and focused on banking law, capital markets, and real estate finance. The same year, he testified about the impact of Dodd-Frank Financial Regulations to the House Financial Services Subcommittee. He passed the California bar exam in 2022.

## Early political career
### 2018 congressional campaign

Min announced his House candidacy on April 5, 2017, challenging incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters in California's 45th congressional district. Min stated he was inspired to run for Congress after President Donald Trump temporarily suspended immigration from certain predominantly Muslim countries, which he said was a "slap in the face" to the son of two immigrants. Min said there is a new "groundswell of political consciousness" nationally among Korean Americans, with people starting to feel comfortable enough to enter politics.
Min received the endorsement of the California Democratic Party at its State Convention in February 2018 after a contentious floor fight where he barely received the necessary 60% of the vote.
Min criticized Walters for living outside of the district and for refusing to hold public or in-person town halls. Min came in third place in the primary election behind Walters and Katie Porter. Porter went on to win the general election.

## California State Senate

On January 9, 2019, Min announced his campaign against State Senator John Moorlach to represent the California's 37th State Senate district. In the primary election, Min defeated Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley, thus advancing to the general election to face Moorlach.
Min narrowly defeated Moorlach in the fall of 2020 with 51.2% of the vote. He assumed office on December 7, 2020. His term lasts four years.
While in office, Min introduced legislation related to violence, including bills to expand protections for survivors of domestic abuse, study harassment on California's transit systems, make child custody cases private by default, and reduce gun shows and sales on state-owned property.
Min also introduced legislation to facilitate the termination of offshore oil drilling leases in Orange County following the 2021 Huntington Beach oil spill, but it died following opposition from the oil industry and trade unions. Some lawmakers, including Bob Hertzberg, expressed concerns about the cost of Min's proposed legislation.

## U.S. House of Representatives
### Elections
#### 2024

Min announced a second campaign for Congress in January 2023, running for California's 47th congressional district. Katie Porter, the incumbent representative who defeated Min in the 2018 congressional primary, vacated the seat to run in the 2024 United States Senate election in California and endorsed Min to succeed her. After Min was arrested and convicted for a DUI, former representative Harley Rouda called for him to drop out of the race. Min declined to leave the race.
He finished second in the top two primary for CA-47 and advanced to the general election. He faced Scott Baugh, a former assemblymember who was Porter's opponent in 2022. The Associated Press projected Min to be the winner of the election on November 13.

### Tenure

Min was sworn in on January 3, 2025.
Min voted against a bipartisan bill, backed by over 60 House Democrats that would make sexual and domestic violence deportable offenses.
In 2025, Min was one of 46 House Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act.

### Committee assignments

* Committee on Natural Resources
** Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
** Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries
* Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
** Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs

### Caucus membership

* Congressional Progressive Caucus

## Personal life

Min is married to Jane Stoever, a clinical professor of law at UC Irvine. She works on domestic violence issues. They have three children. He is Episcopalian.
Min was arrested in Sacramento for drunk driving in 2023. He had a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit and did not have his headlights on when he was pulled over for driving through a red light. Min pleaded no contest, and was sentenced to three years informal probation. The Anaheim Observer reported that "instead of quitting the race, Min announced he is quitting drinking," citing a social media post of Min's.

## Electoral history
### 2018

2018 California's 45th congressional district election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mimi Walters (incumbent) | 86,764 | 51.7 |
| | Democratic | Katie Porter | 34,078 | 20.3 |
| | Democratic | Dave Min | 29,979 | 17.8 |
| | Democratic | Brian Forde | 10,107 | 6.0 |
| | No party preference | John Graham | 3,817 | 2.3 |
| | Democratic | Kia Hamadanchy | 3,212 | 1.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 167,957 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Katie Porter | 158,906 | 52.1 |
| | Republican | Mimi Walters (incumbent) | 146,383 | 47.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 305,289 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### 2020

2020 California's 37th State Senate district election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | John Moorlach (incumbent) | 132,275 | 47.3 |
| | Democratic | Dave Min | 78,293 | 28.0 |
| | Democratic | Katrina Foley | 68,952 | 24.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 279,520 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Dave Min | 270,522 | 51.1 |
| | Republican | John Moorlach (incumbent) | 258,421 | 48.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 528,943 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### 2024

2024 California's 47th congressional district election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Scott Baugh | 57,517 | 32.1 |
| | Democratic | Dave Min | 46,393 | 25.9 |
| | Democratic | Joanna Weiss | 34,802 | 19.4 |
| | Republican | Max Ukropina | 26,585 | 14.8 |
| | Republican | Long Pham | 4,862 | 2.7 |
| | No party preference | Terry Crandall | 2,878 | 1.6 |
| | Democratic | Boyd Roberts | 2,570 | 1.4 |
| | No party preference | Tom McGrath | 1,611 | 0.9 |
| | No party preference | Bill Smith | 1,062 | 0.6 |
| | Democratic | Shariq Zaidi | 788 | 0.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 179,068 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Dave Min | 181,721 | 51.4 |
| | Republican | Scott Baugh | 171,554 | 48.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 353,275 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |