Armed with a habit of attacking corporate executives on whiteboards and in Congressional hearings, Katie Porter quickly emerged as an apostle for the Democratic Party in Orange County.

But despite spending millions on her campaign and having a national profile, she narrowly won re-election in 2022. Now that Porter is running for the Senate, two top Democrats have emerged to face former Republican Scott Baugh in 2024: Sens. Dave Minn and Joanna Weiss.

The stakes are high for Democrats in Orange County and nationally. The 47th Congressional District is one of four Orange County-based districts expected to be the most competitive in the nation in 2024, as Republicans and Democrats vie for control of the House. .

“If Democrats cannot hold on to this seat, they have no hope of winning a House majority, because demographically these are precisely the types of constituencies that are poised to join Democratic coalitions,” said the nonpartisan Cook Political. said David Wasserman, the paper's congressional forecaster. report.

In Porter's district, which includes large swaths of the Orange County coast and Irvine, Democrats have a slight edge in voter registration numbers, but it's close enough to be a major Republican target in 2024.

Orange County's transformation into a more culturally and economically diverse region has turned what President Ronald Reagan once described as “the place where all good Republicans go before they die” into a political battleground.

In 2018, Democrats including Porter flipped four congressional districts in what they called the “Blue Wave.” Republicans regained two of these seats in 2020. The 2022 midterm elections were a stalemate.

“Neither Dave Ming nor Joanna Weiss are the Katie Porter phenomenon, nor are their personalities or fundraising abilities. So, in order to make the seats competitive, the National Chess Committee needs more Democratic support from Democrats. It’s going to take a lot of resources,” said John Fleischman, a former state Republican Party executive director and political strategist.

For months, Democrats debated which candidates would finish in the top two in the March primary and have the best chance of defeating Mr. Baugh in the November election.

Mr. Min's supporters point to his appeal to Asian Americans, an influential swing voter group, his support from police unions and his support in the legislature for abortion rights, gun control and environmental protection. He has a track record of success, and these are expected to draw Democrats to the polls.

Weiss is an anti-Trump suburban woman who says she's a stronger candidate on progressive issues like abortion and is focused on economic and environmental issues that are crucial to Orange County voters. They have built a large support base. Support from both groups is expected to be key to keeping Democrats in the seat.

Min argued that most female voters over the age of 30 who list abortion as a top priority are already aligned with the Democratic Party, noting that they are “not a swing vote at this point.”

Both candidates have spent time and money appealing to Democrats by promoting progressive policies. Mr. Min has raised about $1.2 million this cycle, while Mr. Weiss has raised $1.2 million, including $225,000 he lent to his campaign. The candidates have about $825,000 and $832,000 in cash, respectively, according to campaign finance disclosure reports filed in September.

Min, who has secured support from the California Democratic Party and Porter, sent a mailer this month to voters, including independents, citing his record of championing abortion rights and calling for stricter gun control and an end to offshore drilling. He promoted the bill he had created.

“The people who know CA-47 best are… the people who championed Orange County's values, including winning tough elections and championing reproductive rights, advocating for stronger gun control, and working to abolish gun control overseas. We overwhelmingly support Dave Minn because of his track record of defending “oil drilling and the fight to protect survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence,'' said Minn's campaign manager. Dan Driscoll said in a statement to the Times.

Earlier this month, he released his first ad of the campaign. It was a six-figure video purchase to be aired on digital and cable platforms, titled “United,” and boasting the message, “California Democrats are united behind one candidate: Dave Minn.” .

Ms. Weiss founded Women for American Values ​​and Ethics (WAVE), a fundraising and volunteer organization aimed at promoting progressive candidates, and is an organization that includes Linda Sanchez (D-Whittier) and Zoe・He has the support of several California state legislators, including Lofgren (D-San Jose). She is a close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco).

The Weiss campaign harshly criticized Min's 2023 drunk driving arrest as a serious weakness that Bo could exploit in the general election. Min was charged with a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence last May after a California Highway Patrol trooper spotted him running a red light while driving a state-owned vehicle just a few miles from the U.S. Capitol. was arrested.

He accepted “full responsibility” and apologized, saying there was “no excuse” for his actions. Just hours after news of Min's arrest broke, the California Republican Party issued an email calling him “Drunken Dave” and saying he “put lives at risk with his reckless decision to drive drunk.” Delivered.

Ming's arrest was enough to shake Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley. Democrat Foley endorsed Weiss.

“There's no reason to drink and drive. It's bad judgment and it's alarming,” she said. “This is going to be used by the Republicans. They're going to use it against him, but he's not going to be able to beat the general.”

The battle turned tense on Thursday when Weiss' campaign released an ad criticizing Min for accepting money from special interest groups and driving under the influence. The ad included dashcam footage from a police patrol car that showed Min swaying as officers conducted field sobriety tests.

“It is important that voters in our community understand their choices in this election. He's a big responsibility,” said Emma Weinert, Weiss' campaign manager.

In response, Min said on X (formerly Twitter), “It's very disappointing to see Joanna Weiss running such a negative campaign.''

Min's campaign argues that Weiss, a first-time candidate, does not have the name recognition needed to win such a competitive seat.

Questions have also been raised about the sources of funds Weiss used to support her campaign. According to an article published this month by The Daily Beast, the money that Weiss put into the campaign comes from a labor and employment law firm at Sheppard Mullin, which defended the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange on sexual abuse charges. This is the income of her husband, Jason Weiss, who has been working for a long time. Lawsuit.

Weiss called the story a “desperate attack.”

“I am the number one female fundraiser in this country who is not an incumbent in the 2024 cycle,” she said. “I think the article was trying to unfairly emphasize self-funding, when here in Orange County, men are completely self-funding their campaigns. No one asked where the money came from.”

As Min and Weiss compete, Bo has reached out to sway voters and amassed a $1.5 million war chest, according to campaign finance disclosures.

For Baugh, the current situation looks much more favorable to Republicans than in 2022, when he faced incumbent Porter, who outspent him by millions of dollars. For now, Ming and Weiss are spending money fighting each other.

“Whoever comes out of the primary is going to be a little bruised and a little bloody,” Baugh said.