Republican Scott Baugh topped the field of 10 candidates seeking to succeed Rep. Katie Porter in representing the 47th Congressional District and will face Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, in the general election, according to figures released Wednesday by the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
Baugh received 33.3% of the vote, and Min 25.44%. Voting rights advocate Joanna Weiss, a Democrat, was third with 18.81%.
There are 201,552 ballots left to be processed countywide, the Orange County Registrar of Voters reported, but did specify how many were from the 47th Congressional District.
Baugh has said he is running to be a voice for limited, constitutional government and bills himself as a supporter of lower taxes, more freedom and strong borders.
Baugh was an Assemblyman from 1995-2000, including being the Assembly Republican Leader from 1999-2000. He was chairman of the Orange County Republican Party from 2004-2015.
Baugh is chairman of the Orange County Gang Reduction Intervention Partnership, a program offered at 62 schools in 13 cities that are at-risk for gang violence.
Baugh lost to Porter, 51.7%-48.3%, in 2022 and was among the candidates in the 2018 primary challenging then-Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, finishing fourth in a race eventually won by Democrat Harley Rouda.
Porter endorsed Min on Jan. 18, 2023, the day he announced his candidacy, saying she has “have every confidence that his campaign will ensure that California’s 47th Congressional District continues to be represented by a progressive Democrat.”
During the primary campaign, Min touted his record in support of abortion rights; authoring and coauthoring several key climate bills, including legislation to end offshore drilling, decarbonize transportation and household appliances; pledged to support renewal of the assault weapons ban and expanded background checks and red flag laws; support legislation to end stock trading by members of Congress and “continue to try to be a champion for small businesses.”
Min pleaded no contest on Aug. 29, 2023, in Sacramento County Superior Court to driving under the influence of alcohol above the legal limit of 0.08. He was sentenced to two days in jail, three months in a first offender program and placed on three years of informal probation, according to Shelly Orio, a public information officer for the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
The first offender program includes 30 hours of alcohol and drug education counseling.
When contacted by City News Service for a response following his plea, Min’s office referred back to a statement the senator issued when he was arrested on May 2, 2023.
“Last night I was cited for a misdemeanor for driving under the influence,” Min said in the statement. “My decision to drive last night was irresponsible. I accept full responsibility and there is no excuse for my actions. To my family, constituents and supporters, I am so deeply sorry. I know I need to do better. I will not let this personal failure distract from our work in California and in Washington.”
Min’s arrest and plea have prompted criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.
Weiss used it in a commercial billing herself as “the Democrat we can trust.” Ben Petersen, the Western press secretary of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said following Min’s arrest, “Voters will rightfully question David Min’s judgment after this incident.”
The campaign arm of the House Republicans has made the race one of its top target races. The district was represented by Republicans from when it was created after California gained seven House seats in the reapportionment following the 1950 census until Porter defeated then-Rep. Mimi Walters in 2018.
The 47th District stretches from Seal Beach to Laguna Beach and also includes Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine and Newport Beach.
In other Orange County congressional races:
— Rep. Young Kim, R-Anaheim Hills, tops the field of three candidates in the 40th District with 57.8% of the vote, and will face Democrat Joe Kerr, a retired firefighter captain, who has 25.8%. The district also includes portions of Riverside and San Bernardino counties;
— Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Seal Beach, leads the field of five candidates in the 45th District with 57.1% of the vote. Derek Tran, who lists his occupation as workers’ rights advocate, is second with 16.2% of the vote, while Garden Grove Councilwoman Kim Bernice Nguyen-Penaloza, a fellow Democrat, is third with 14.1%.
The district stretches from Brea on the north, Yorba Linda on the east, Lakewood on the west and Fountain Valley on the south.
— Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, leads Republican David Pan, a UC Irvine German professor, 58.2%-41.8%, in the predominately Democratic 46th District that also includes Anaheim.
— Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, the lone Democrat in the field of five, finished first in the 49th District with 50.7%. Levin will face Republican Matt Gunderson, a small business owner, in the general election. Gunderson is second with 25.7%.
The district also includes a portion of San Diego County.