Dave Min announces bid for Porter’s California House seat, nabs her endorsement

California state Sen. Dave Min (D) announced on Wednesday that he is running for the House seat being vacated by Rep. Katie Porter (D) as a result of her Senate bid and received Porter’s endorsement in the race. 

Min, a former business law professor at the University of California, Irvine, who was first elected to the state Senate in 2020, said in a release that he has proven himself to be an “incredibly effective” legislative leader through authoring 16 bills on topics like hate crimes and reproductive rights that the governor signed into law. 

He said he is “honored” to receive Porter’s endorsement. 

“Congresswoman Porter leaves behind an incredible legacy in the House of Representatives, one I hope to try to continue,” he said. 

Porter said in the release that Min has been a “progressive leader” on issues like gun violence prevention, reproductive rights and environmental protection. She said he worked to end gun shows on California state property, pushed to end offshore oil drilling and helped deliver billions of dollars in relief funds to small businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“State Senator Dave Min will be a fantastic member of Congress, and I trust him to keep this critical swing seat Blue as we work to take back the House of Representatives in 2024,” she said. “Dave has proven that he can win in this area while delivering on a progressive agenda with real results.” 

Porter narrowly won reelection to her House seat representing the state’s 47th Congressional District by about 3 points in November. 

Min’s announcement comes a week after former Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Calif.) announced he would seek Porter’s House seat in 2024. Rouda lost reelection to his former seat to Rep. Michelle Steel (R) in 2020 and decided against running again in 2022, as redistricting would have caused him to have to face Porter in a Democratic primary. 

Republican Scott Baugh, whom Porter defeated in November, has also announced he will run for the seat. 

Min’s release states that he flipped his state Senate district — which includes more than 80 percent of the 47th Congressional District — from Republican to Democratic in 2020, winning by more than 4 points. He argues in the release that this demonstrates he can win in a competitive district.

He is the only Korean American in the state legislature, according to the release.