Dave Min narrowly secures his House seat in highly contested Southern California race, ensuring Democrat representation.

State Sen. Dave Min, of Irvine, California, has secured former Rep. Katie Porter’s seat for the Democratic Party after mail-in ballots gave him the lead over Republican challenger Scott Baugh on November 11.

Baugh, the former chair of the Orange County Republican Party and former state Assembly Republican Leader, conceded the race for House District 47 on Tuesday after Min’s lead increased to 5,732 votes, making it one of the closest House races in the state.

Min had 50.9 percent of the vote, while Baugh had 49.1 percent as of Wednesday.

Republicans aimed to flip the seat after Porter, a Democrat, chose not to run for re-election and instead competed for the U.S. Senate seat previously held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, where Porter came in third with 15.3 percent of the vote.

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“Honored to announce our race in [District 47] has been called,” he shared on social media. “I know many of us are anxious about the future of our country, but we cannot give up on America. In Congress, I will fight to protect our democracy, safeguard our freedoms, and expand economic opportunity.”

Min, a former assistant law professor at the University of California-Irvine, has been a state senator since 2020, and his term ends on December 2. He campaigned on three main issues: abortion and contraception access, gun violence prevention, and addressing climate issues.

The lead in the closely contested race shifted multiple times between the two candidates as the county continued processing thousands of mail-in ballots returned since November 5.

Baugh did not respond to requests for comment on his concession but posted a lengthy message to supporters on social media Tuesday night.

“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 wrote in the message.

“I am grateful to an outstanding campaign team and the most dedicated supporters any candidate could ask for. I’m appreciative of the voters that supported me and even those that did not, and most of all I am grateful for my wife, Wendy, and my son, Jackson.”

Baugh mentioned that he had been looking forward to collaborating with Democrats, Republicans, and President-elect Donald Trump to address issues like the open border, crime, and federal spending, but acknowledged that the voters had spoken and this was not his intended path.

This marks the second time Baugh has lost his bid for the seat, having previously run against Porter in 2022 and losing by 9,113 votes.

As of Wednesday afternoon, four House seats out of the 52 California U.S. House seats remained undecided, with the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives still up for grabs.

In District 45, Republican incumbent Michelle Steel holds a slight lead with 50.4 percent of the vote over Democratic Party opponent Derek Tran, who has 49.6 percent for the seat spanning Orange and Los Angeles counties. The two candidates are only separated by 2,272 votes as of Wednesday, according to the Secretary of State’s office.

In District 21, Democrat incumbent Jim Costa of Fresno is in the lead with 51.7 percent over Republican challenger Michael Mahar, who holds 48.3 percent of the vote.

In District 13, Republican incumbent John Duarte from Stanislaus County maintains 51.2 percent of the vote over Democrat Adam Gray, who has 48.8 percent.

Democrat incumbent Josh Harder of Tracy retains the lead with 51.8 percent over Republican Kevin Lincoln, who holds 48.2 percent as of Wednesday in District 9.

California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson mentioned that the party had anticipated a delay in posting results.

The state’s Republican Party has enlisted many attorneys to oversee the ballot counting process, along with thousands of trained volunteers, as per her statement.