California State Senator Dave Min is poised to become the county’s newest congressman after his opponent Scott Baugh conceded Tuesday night, with the two just under 6,000 votes apart from another.
It was one of the closest races for the House of Representatives in the country, and Min’s success keeps the seat in Democrat hands for at least two more years after Congresswoman Katie Porter elected not to run again amidst a failed campaign for the US Senate.
The district covers much of the county’s coast, stretching across cities like Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach and Irvine.
The 47th Congressional District also holds a nearly equal number of registered Republicans and Democrats, along with nearly a quarter of registered voters with no party preference.
Min celebrated his victory in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday night.
“I know many of us are anxious about the future of our country, but we cannot give up on America,” Min wrote. “In Congress, I will fight to protect our democracy, safeguard our freedoms, and expand economic opportunity.”
Baugh posted a concession on the same platform minutes later.
“It has become clear that despite running a strong campaign, connecting with voters, and mobilizing an incredible volunteer effort – that effort is going to come up a little short,” Baugh said. “Let us continue to pray for our elected officials that they may have with wisdom and courage to make the right decisions for America’s bright future.”
While Min was leading in initial results on Election Night, Baugh pulled ahead in the later returns before Min clawed back a lead in later ballot counts.
[Read: Min vs Baugh: Election Night Results 2024]
Min, who’s endorsed by outgoing Congresswoman Katie Porter, has been a state senator for the past four years after beating then-Senator John Moorlach.
[Read: ‘Sky Fell’: Is OC’s Old Brand of Conservative Republican Sunsetting?]
During his state Senate tenure, Min has repeatedly clashed with the Republican city council majority of Huntington Beach, spearheading laws as a direct response to several of their policies and directing the state auditor’s office to investigate them over the controversial air show settlement.
[Read: State Auditors to Investigate Huntington Beach’s Pacific Airshow Settlement]
Baugh ran against Porter in the 2022 election and lost by a narrow margin after spending years out of public office, with his last elected position in the State Assembly ending in 2000.
Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter and corps member with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @NBiesiada.
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