Democratic candidate Dave Min has won the congressional race for California’s 47th district, one of the most closely watched contests in the November 5 election. Results were not finalized until November 12, following a tight battle.
His opponent, Republican Scott Baugh, conceded in a statement on November 12. “I was looking forward to working with Democrats, Republicans and @therealdonaldtrump to solve serious problems like an open border, increasing crime, and runaway federal spending but the voters have spoken and this is not what is intended for me,” Baugh wrote.
In his victory statement, Min, who will be the third Korean American to serve as a U.S. Representative from California, emphasized, “We are facing the struggle of our lives to defend this country and its most cherished legacies and democratic institutions.” He said he will head to the nation’s Capitol “with eyes wide open.”
“We are in a fight to protect America, its cherished legacy, and our democratic institutions. I am ready to face the realities ahead as I head to Congress.”
Min pledged to “stand up for our rights, including the reproductive rights of women, and to fight for a stronger and better future for young people, including creating more affordable housing, reducing gun violence, and doing all we can to rescue our civilization from the climate crisis. The fight has just begun.”
As the son of immigrants who survived the Korean War, Min expressed gratitude to the United States, saying, “I owe everything I have to this country. In Congress, I will carry on the fight to protect our democracy, safeguard our freedoms, and expand the economic opportunity at the heart of the American Dream.”
Meanwhile, as of 1 p.m. on November 13, the results for another hotly contested race in California’s 45th district remain undecided. With about 90% of the vote counted, Republican Michelle Steel leads Democrat Derek Tran by approximately 2,000 votes, with 50.4% (147,100 votes) to Tran’s 49.6% (144,828 votes).
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
