The Associated Students of UCI (ASUCI) and Associated Graduate Students (AGS) hosted a forum featuring Dave Min, a candidate running for a House seat in California’s 47th Congressional District. The event was hosted at the Crystal Cove Auditorium in the Student Center on Oct. 28.
The forum was held ahead of the Nov. 5 General Election, in which voters will decide on the next representative for CA-47 in the House of Representatives, a district encompassing Irvine and other Orange County cities. Democratic candidate Dave Min attended the forum as part of his bid for the CA-47 seat. Republican candidate Scott Baugh, was also invited to participate by the forum’s organizers but declined.
“As part of the Get Out the Vote nonpartisan efforts, we have to reach out to all candidates that are running for races,” AGS External Vice President Rebecca Angela Ruiz told New University. “We did reach out to Scott Baugh a few times throughout the summer. Unfortunately, they declined about a month ago.”
Ruiz, a third-year PhD student in the criminology, law and society department, served as one of two moderators for the forum. The second moderator was Kylie Jones, the ASUCI External Vice President and a fourth-year public health policy major.
The race for the CA-47 seat — “one of America’s tightest congressional races,” as stated by the Voice of OC — is currently occupied by Rep. Katie Porter.
Baugh does not currently hold a position in a public office but previously served as a California State Assembly Leader.
Min, currently representing District 37 in the California State Senate, oversees parts of Orange County that overlap with the CA-47 district. Both districts include areas within Irvine, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach.
“I’ve had the privilege of representing Irvine and the surrounding communities for the last four years, and [I am] hoping to represent many of these same communities again in Congress,” Min told New University.
During the first portion of the forum, Ruiz and Jones asked Min a series of predetermined questions, which were not known by Min in advance. Topics included gun violence prevention, environmental policy, reproductive freedom and inflation. In the second and last portion, Ruiz and Jones asked questions submitted by community members.
In response to a moderator’s question on gun violence and safety, Min stated he was an advocate for gun violence prevention and referenced Senate Bill 264, a bill he introduced in 2021. If passed, the bill would prohibit the sale of firearms on Orange County Fairgrounds.
Regarding environmental issues, Min positioned himself as a supporter of environmental projects, highlighting his role in drafting Proposition 4 on the California 2024 ballot. Proposition 4 would authorize $10 billion in bonds to fund clean drinking water and wildfire prevention initiatives, though some opponents cite concerns with using bonds to fund projects.
“The elephant in the room, of course, is climate change,” Min said to the audience.
In the forum’s second portion, Ruiz and Jones asked Min questions submitted by attendees, covering topics such as peaceful protest on campuses, protection of undocumented students’ rights and accessible transportation in Orange County.
Addressing immigration and border security, Min stated that he supports a “secure border,” but believes a “deportation task force” could not adequately address border security concerns.
“Dealing with [border security] is a serious issue rather than a game of political football,” Min stated.
In his closing remarks, Min urged the audience to take action.
“You are at a historic moment,” Min stated. “What did you do in that moment?”
Voting information for the General Election, including registration and in-person voting at the UCI Student Center, can be found through the AGS.
Alyse Billiard is a News Staff Writer. She can be reached at abilliar@uci.edu.
Edited by Jaheem Conley
