With the November 3 midterm elections approaching, The Korea Daily has released its assessment of candidates in key federal, California state, and local races.
Since 2020, the newspaper has convened a candidate evaluation committee to review contenders based on policy capacity, contributions to their communities, and their ability to perform in public office. The 2026 midterm election is particularly significant for the Korean American community, with a number of Korean American candidates seeking offices ranging from Congress and statewide positions to city councils.
The profiles below present in detail the candidates’ records, policy positions, electoral circumstances, and considerations. The newspaper emphasized that, regardless of any endorsement, voter participation remains essential. Voters were urged to register and cast ballots to make their voices heard.
California’s 40th Congressional District — Young Kim
Rep. Young Kim is seeking a fourth term in Congress.
Kim first entered the U.S. House in 2020 and became one of the first Korean American women elected to Congress. She currently chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, giving her a prominent role on issues involving the Indo-Pacific region and the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
Her 2026 race is unusually difficult because redistricting has placed her in the same 40th Congressional District as Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, a congressional veteran who has served for more than three decades. The contest therefore guarantees that one Republican incumbent will leave Congress.
Campaign-finance figures also underscore the competitiveness of the race. According to the Federal Election Commission, Kim’s campaign reported approximately $8.84 million in receipts through June 30, compared with roughly $6.14 million for Calvert. Kim also held an advantage in cash on hand at the end of the reporting period.
Kim has built her political profile around a combination of conservative policy positions and bipartisan legislative work. She has advocated reducing taxes and regulatory burdens and supporting small businesses while also working across party lines on regional and foreign-policy matters.
The Korea Daily’s original assessment highlighted her ranking among the more bipartisan Republican members of Congress in evaluations by Georgetown University’s Lugar Center, as well as her work on Korean divided families, the U.S.-South Korea alliance and North Korea. Her pragmatic image has also drawn some support outside Republican circles. Esther Kim Varet, who competed in the primary as a Democrat, publicly indicated that she preferred Kim to Calvert in the general election, according to the original article.
The race tests whether Kim’s bipartisan record, fundraising strength and established district base can overcome an unusual incumbent-versus-incumbent contest created by the new district lines.
California’s 47th Congressional District — Dave Min
Rep. Dave Min is seeking a second term in the U.S. House.
Min previously served in the California State Senate before winning election to Congress in 2024. As one of a small number of Korean Americans serving in Congress, he has also become an important figure in expanding Korean American representation in Washington.
Min finished first in the June primary with 45.45% of the vote. Republican Jenny Rae Le Roux advanced to the general election with roughly 25%, leaving a gap of more than 20 percentage points between the two candidates, according to the original article. Orange County election records confirm Min and Le Roux as the two general-election candidates.
Min’s campaign had raised approximately $3.38 million through the end of June and reported about $1.89 million in cash on hand, according to the article.
His record has focused on issues with direct consequences for Southern California residents. The article points in particular to bipartisan legislation aimed at modernizing wildfire-prevention policy, which passed the House, as well as legislation co-sponsored with Republican lawmakers to strengthen oversight of federal spending and reduce waste.
Min has also emphasized housing affordability, the high cost of living and support for small businesses. Those themes build on issues he addressed as a state senator, including housing, environmental policy and small-business concerns.
California’s 47th Congressional District includes Irvine, Tustin, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods and Lake Forest, along with portions of Mission Viejo, Newport Beach and North Tustin.
California Assembly District 66 — Paul Seo
Paul Seo is running for California Assembly District 66 after a career spanning the military, law enforcement and local government.
Born in Harbor City and raised in the South Bay, Seo graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served as an Army officer. His military assignments included service with the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom in Korea.
After leaving active duty, Seo became a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney and later joined the California Department of Justice as a deputy attorney general. He is currently mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes. His official city biography confirms his West Point education, Army service in Korea, experience prosecuting serious crimes in Los Angeles County and subsequent state prosecutorial work.
Seo finished first among six candidates in the June primary with 26.6% of the vote, while fellow Democrat Sarah Deen finished second with 24.6%, setting up a general election between two Democratic candidates.
His campaign places particular emphasis on public safety and government accountability. Seo has advocated increasing staffing for police, sheriff’s departments and prosecutors while also demanding greater accountability for government spending on homelessness.
On affordability, he supports reducing regulations that inhibit housing construction, lowering financial burdens on middle-class families and cutting administrative obstacles facing small businesses. His campaign background also emphasizes that he grew up in a Korean immigrant small-business family.
His education proposals include improving teacher compensation, reducing class sizes and expanding STEM education.
Assembly District 66 encompasses Torrance, Gardena, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Lomita, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills and Rolling Hills Estates, as well as San Pedro.
California Insurance Commissioner — Jane Kim
Jane Kim is seeking to make history in the race for California insurance commissioner.
Kim previously became San Francisco’s first Korean American elected official. Her current statewide campaign places her in position to become one of the first Korean Americans elected by voters across California to a statewide office.
She finished first in the June primary with 27.4% of the vote in an 11-candidate field. State Sen. Ben Allen finished second, trailing Kim by roughly eight percentage points, according to the original report.
Kim’s campaign is centered on California’s growing insurance crisis, including rising premiums, cancellations and difficulty obtaining coverage in areas exposed to wildfire and other disasters.
Among the proposals highlighted in the original article is a requirement that at least 70% of auto-insurance premium revenue and 65% of homeowners-insurance premium revenue be directed toward claims and related benefits. Excessive profits, under her proposal, would either be returned to consumers or directed toward disaster-prevention efforts.
Her most distinctive proposal is the creation of a public “Disaster Insurance for All” program covering losses from wildfires, floods and earthquakes. Her official candidate statement confirms that proposal and her pledge to refuse insurance-industry money.
Kim has also proposed expanding California’s existing low-income auto-insurance program into a broader affordable public option, restricting premium increases triggered by claims, strengthening penalties against insurers that delay payments and requiring greater public disclosure of how premiums are used.
A civil-rights attorney, organizer and consumer advocate, Kim argues that the insurance commissioner should serve as a consumer watchdog rather than an ally of the industry.
California Governor — Steve Hilton
Republican Steve Hilton is running against Democrat Xavier Becerra for governor of California.
Hilton was born in the United Kingdom, moved to California in 2012 and became a U.S. citizen in 2021. In an earlier exclusive interview with The Korea Daily, he emphasized his own immigrant experience and said he wanted Korean Americans to have greater opportunities in California.
Hilton finished second in the June primary with 24.7% of the statewide vote, while Becerra finished first with 28.1%, a difference of about 3.4 percentage points. Official state results confirm those totals.
The governor’s race framed around questions of taxes, regulation, government spending, housing and California’s high cost of living.
Hilton’s economic platform includes eliminating California state income tax for residents earning less than $100,000 annually and establishing a 7.5% flat rate for income above that threshold.
He has also set a goal of reducing gasoline prices to approximately $3 per gallon, arguing that state climate mandates and regulations contribute to California’s high fuel costs.
His housing proposals call for easing regulations that he says restrict construction and increase costs. He has also proposed limiting annual vehicle registration fees to $73. His campaign materials confirm the under-$100,000 tax exemption, 7.5% flat tax and $3 gasoline goal.
The Korea Daily also contrasted Hilton’s outsider and reform-oriented message with Becerra’s long record in elected and appointed government positions, including service in the federal Cabinet.
Los Angeles Mayor — Karen Bass
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is seeking another term as the city confronts homelessness, housing costs, public safety and preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Bass finished first in the June mayoral primary with 34.27% of the vote. Councilmember Nithya Raman finished second with 29.02%, advancing both candidates to the runoff. Official Los Angeles County results confirm those figures.
Bass declared a homelessness emergency shortly after taking office in 2022 and launched the Inside Safe initiative, which moves people from encampments into temporary housing with the goal of eventually securing permanent housing.
As of Feb. 28, 2026, the mayor’s office reported that 5,808 people had been moved indoors through Inside Safe. Bass also issued executive directives intended to accelerate permitting for temporary and affordable housing.
The original article acknowledges that homelessness remains a severe and unresolved problem despite those initiatives.
Bass’ challenger, Raman, has generally advocated more progressive policies. The Korea Daily contrasted Raman’s political positioning with Bass’ comparatively more pragmatic approach to city administration.
The next mayor will also oversee critical preparations for the 2028 Games. Bass has established an Office of Major Events inside City Hall and, as chair of the LA Metro Board, has emphasized transportation safety, system reliability and Olympic readiness.
Her previous experience as a member of Congress and speaker of the California Assembly gives her extensive experience working with state and federal governments — a potentially important factor as Los Angeles coordinates transportation, security, infrastructure and federal funding ahead of the Olympics.
Korean American Candidates in Southern California Local Elections
A number of Korean American candidates are also running for local office across Southern California, highlighting the community’s growing focus on municipal politics.
Irvine City Council District 1 — Sukhee Kang
Former Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang is seeking a return to city government in District 1.
Kang immigrated to the United States in 1977 and settled in Irvine in 1986. He was elected to the Irvine City Council in 2004 and became mayor in 2008, making history as the first Korean American mayor of a major U.S. city.
From 2023 to 2025, Kang served as a presidential appointee in the Biden administration as a regional administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration. In that position, he oversaw regions covering the Pacific Rim, Northwest and Arctic and managed responsibilities involving more than 1,800 federal buildings, federal procurement, facilities and technology modernization.
Kang’s campaign emphasizes preserving Irvine’s open space, developing new libraries and community centers, planting tens of thousands of trees, maintaining fiscal stability and strengthening public safety.
His campaign also highlights his decades-long connection to Irvine and his experience at the city and federal levels.
Buena Park City Council District 2 — Yongduk Choi
Yongduk Choi is running for the Buena Park City Council in District 2.
Choi immigrated to the United States in 1975 and has spent much of his career as a small-business owner. His professional background includes construction, remodeling and accessory dwelling unit development.
He has also served on the Buena Park Planning Commission.
Outside business and local government, Choi has been active for many years as a martial artist and instructor and holds a ninth-degree black belt in taekwondo.
His campaign priorities include increasing housing supply, supporting small businesses, improving public safety and addressing homelessness.
La Palma City Council District 2 — Andrew Kim
Andrew Kim is running for La Palma City Council District 2 with more than 25 years of ties to the city.
Kim grew up in La Palma, attended local schools and later worked as a La Palma police officer. He subsequently moved into public-safety administration and has experience in municipal government in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.
His background includes government operations, budgeting, emergency management, infrastructure planning and organizational leadership. His campaign says he currently oversees a public-safety departmental budget of more than $22 million.
Kim’s priorities include public safety, traffic safety, fiscal responsibility, government transparency, infrastructure and long-term city planning.
Arcadia City Council District 5 — Steve Rhee
Steve Rhee is running for Arcadia City Council District 5. The Korean-language article rendered his name as “Steve Lee,” but Arcadia’s official campaign filings list the candidate as Steve Rhee.
Rhee has lived, raised a family and operated businesses in Arcadia for more than 15 years. Before entering commercial real estate, he spent roughly two decades in the technology industry.
He currently serves as president of the Arcadia Educational Foundation and has held leadership roles with the Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association, including serving as a board member, treasurer and chair of its Lunar New Year Festival.
His broader community involvement has included school organizations, the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, civic groups and local events.
Fullerton City Council District 3 — Daniel Kim
Daniel Kim is running for Fullerton City Council District 3.
Kim has more than 25 years of experience in global capital markets, investment banking and private equity, with work in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Los Angeles.
Following the death of his son Dragon, Kim and his family established the Dragon Kim Foundation. The nonprofit provides youth programs involving music education, mentoring, leadership and social entrepreneurship. Kim serves as its co-founder and CEO.
He has also served for more than a decade on the board of the Koreatown Youth and Community Center.
Kim’s campaign priorities include public safety, support for small businesses, sound city finances and stronger collaboration among residents, schools and nonprofit organizations.
Calexico City Council — Joong Kim
Joong Kim is seeking a return to the Calexico City Council after previously serving as both a councilmember and mayor.
Kim immigrated to the United States in 1980 and settled in Calexico in 1984.
He previously served four years on the City Council and later served as mayor. During his council tenure, Kim raised concerns about city budget overspending and sought a review by the California State Controller’s Office. City records show that, as mayor in January 2016, he formally requested consideration of a state audit of Calexico’s finances covering the previous eight to 10 years.
Kim has said the subsequent fiscal review validated concerns he had raised about the city’s finances and that, as mayor, he focused on restoring fiscal stability.
His 2026 campaign represents an effort to return to City Hall on the strength of his previous experience in municipal government and fiscal oversight.
