Dave Min | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's47th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Katie Porter |
| Member of theCalifornia Senate from the37th district | |
| In office December 7, 2020 – November 30, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | John Moorlach |
| Succeeded by | Steven Choi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | David Kunnghee Min (1976-03-05)March 5, 1976 (age 49) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA,BS) Harvard University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
David Kunnghee Min (born March 5, 1976) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as theU.S. representative fromCalifornia's 47th congressional district since 2025. A member of theDemocratic Party, he represented the37th district in theCalifornia State Senate, which includes portions ofOrange County, from 2020 to 2024. He was an assistant law professor at theUniversity of California, Irvine prior to being elected to office.
Min ran in the2018 election to representCalifornia's 45th congressional district but was defeated in thenonpartisan blanket primary by incumbent CongresswomanMimi Walters and fellow UC Irvine professorKatie Porter, who went on to defeat Walters in the general election.[1] He was elected to the state senate in the2020 elections after defeatingCosta Mesa mayor and futureOrange County Board of Supervisors memberKatrina Foley in the primary and then by narrowly defeating incumbent RepublicanJohn Moorlach in the November election.[2]
Min defeatedRepublican nomineeScott Baugh in the 2024 election to representCalifornia's 47th congressional district.[3]
Min was born on March 5, 1976, inProvidence, Rhode Island, and raised inPalo Alto, California.[4] His parents immigrated to the United States fromSouth Korea in 1972 to pursue doctoral degrees atBrown University.[5] He attended theUniversity of Pennsylvania, earning aBachelor of Science ineconomics from theWharton School and aBachelor of Arts inphilosophy from theSchool of Arts and Sciences, both in 1999.[6] He then attendedHarvard Law School, where he earned hisJuris Doctor in 2002.[7]
After graduating fromHarvard Law School, Min worked in financial regulation as a staff attorney at theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as a counsel to SenatorChuck Schumer on theU.S. Senate Banking Committee, and as counsel and senior policy advisor to theJoint Economic Committee.[8][9] In 2009, he joined theCenter for American Progress, a liberalthink tank, as its associate director for financial markets policy and supervisor of its Mortgage Finance Working Group.[10][11]
He became an assistant law professor at theUniversity of California, Irvine in 2012 and focused onbanking law,capital markets, andreal estate finance.[9] The same year, he testified about the impact ofDodd-Frank Financial Regulations to theHouse Financial Services Subcommittee.[12] He passed theCalifornia bar exam in 2022.[13]
Min announced his House candidacy on April 5, 2017, challenging incumbent Rep.Mimi Walters inCalifornia's 45th congressional district.[14] Min stated he was inspired to run for Congress after PresidentDonald Trumptemporarily suspended immigration from certain predominantly Muslim countries, which he said was a "slap in the face" to the son of two immigrants.[15] Min said there is a new "groundswell of political consciousness" nationally amongKorean Americans, with people starting to feel comfortable enough to enter politics.[16]
Min received the endorsement of theCalifornia Democratic Party at its State Convention in February 2018 after a contentious floor fight where he barely received the necessary 60% of the vote.[17][18]
Min criticized Walters for living outside of the district and for refusing to hold public or in-person town halls.[5] Min came in third place in the primary election behind Walters andKatie Porter.[1] Porter went on to win the general election.
On January 9, 2019, Min announced his campaign against State SenatorJohn Moorlach to represent theCalifornia's 37th State Senate district.[19] In the primary election, Min defeatedCosta Mesa MayorKatrina Foley, thus advancing to the general election to face Moorlach.[20]
Min narrowly defeated Moorlach in the fall of 2020 with 51.2% of the vote.[21] He assumed office on December 7, 2020. His term lasted four years.[22]
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.[23][24][25][26][27]
Min also introduced legislation to facilitate the termination ofoffshore oil drilling leases in Orange County following the 2021Huntington Beach oil spill, but it died following opposition from the oil industry and trade unions.[28] Some lawmakers, includingBob Hertzberg, expressed concerns about the cost of Min's proposed legislation.[29]
Min announced a second campaign for Congress in January 2023, running forCalifornia's 47th congressional district.[30]Katie Porter, the incumbent representative who defeated Min in the 2018 congressional primary, vacated the seat to run in the2024 United States Senate election in California and endorsed Min to succeed her.[31] After Min was arrested and convicted for a DUI, former representativeHarley 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.[32] He facedScott 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.[33]
Min was sworn in on January 3, 2025.
Min voted against a bill, introduced by Republicans and backed by over 60House Democrats, that would make sexual and domestic violence deportable offenses.[34]
In 2025, Min was one of 46 House Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for theLaken Riley Act.[35]
Min is married to Jane Stoever, a clinical professor of law atUC Irvine.[38] She works on domestic violence issues.[39] They have three children.[5] He isEpiscopalian.[40]
Min was arrested in Sacramento fordrunk driving in 2023.[41] He had ablood 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.[42] Min pleaded no contest, and was sentenced to three years informal probation.[43] TheAnaheim Observer reported that "instead of quitting the race, Min announced he is quitting drinking," citing a social media post of Min's.[44]
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 167,957 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Katie Porter | 158,906 | 52.1 | |
| Republican | Mimi Walters (incumbent) | 146,383 | 47.9 | |
| Total votes | 305,289 | 100.0 | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 279,520 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Dave Min | 270,522 | 51.1 | |
| Republican | John Moorlach (incumbent) | 258,421 | 48.9 | |
| Total votes | 528,943 | 100.0 | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 179,068 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Dave Min | 181,721 | 51.4 | |
| Republican | Scott Baugh | 171,554 | 48.6 | |
| Total votes | 353,275 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 47th congressional district 2025–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 412th | Succeeded by |
