Irvine, CA – ASPIRE PAC, the political arm of the 64-member Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, announced its endorsement of Dave Min, Democratic candidate for Congress in California’s 45th Congressional District, as part of its first set of Congressional endorsements.
“We are excited to support Dave Min’s Congressional campaign,” said Rep. Grace Meng, chair of ASPIRE PAC. “Dave understands the issues facing the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, both from his own personal experience as the son of Korean immigrants and also from his extensive community engagement. His expertise in economics and housing issues and his commitment to civil rights and fair immigration policies will make him an outstanding advocate for AAPI priorities.”
Min’s opponent, Rep. Mimi Walters (R-CA), who is only in her second term as a Congressional member, has already racked up a record demonstrating her hostility to Asian-American and Pacific Islander priorities, despite representing California’s 45th Congressional District, one of the most diverse communities in the country. She has repeatedly voted to cut federal funding for public education, raise taxes on students, and restrict immigrant rights.
“I’m so honored to have earned the support of ASPIRE PAC,” said Dave Min. “In Donald Trump’s America, our core values of opportunity, diversity, and inclusion are threatened. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders know the importance of these values, because these are what drew so many of us or our recent forebears to this wonderful country. With the help of ASPIRE PAC, I hope to increase AAPI political engagement and advocate for the issues important to our community.”
Min would be the only Korean-American in Congress and the first Korean-American Democratic member in history. There are only 18 AAPI members of Congress today, making the AAPI community the most underrepresented demographic bloc at the federal level.
Several members of the California Congressional delegation are members of ASPIRE, including Immediate Past Chair Judy Chu (CA-27). Min, the only candidate in CA-45 with endorsements from members of the House of Representatives, was also recently recognized as a rising leader by the New Democrats’ political affiliate NewDemPAC, which added him to their 2018 Candidate Watch List.
Dave Min is a nationally-recognized expert on economic policy who has fought to protect and strengthen economic opportunity for working Americans for nearly two decades. Dave is a professor at the University of California-Irvine School of Law, and lives in Irvine with his family. A former enforcement attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission and economic policy advisor to Senator Chuck Schumer and the Center for American Progress, Dave is running for Congress in California’s 45th Congressional District. Learn more at www.davemin.com.