California State Sen. Dave Min, a Democrat from Irvine, was arrested for driving under the influence in Sacramento on May 2 and released the next morning.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed Min’s arrest to The Epoch Times. According to the CHP’s report, officers stopped Min’s Toyota Camry at 10:51 p.m. for not having headlights on near the corner of Broadway and Riverside Boulevard next to the city’s historic cemetery.
“The officers followed the vehicle to 9th St. at Broadway, where they observed the vehicle stop at a red light momentarily, but then proceed into the intersection while the light remained red,” according to CHP’s report of the incident.
When officers spoke to Min, they noticed signs of alcohol intoxication, they reported. The officers conducted a drunk driving investigation and said Min was driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of more than .08 percent, according to the CHP report.
Min spent nearly four hours in jail, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.
The CHP’s Office of Protective Intelligence, a special division responsible for the protection of state officials, booked Min into the county jail at about 12:30 a.m. on May 3. He was released at around 4 a.m., Sgt. Amar Gandhi, public information officer of the sheriff’s department, told The Epoch Times.
Min, 47, is a candidate for California’s 47th Congressional District—one of Orange County’s most competitive districts—to replace outgoing Democratic Rep. Katie Porter. He posted a message to supporters on his Facebook page following his arrest.
“Last night I was cited for a misdemeanor for driving under the influence. My decision to drive last night was irresponsible. I accept full responsibility and there is no excuse for my actions. To my family, constituents and supporters, I am so deeply sorry. I know I need to do better. I will not let this personal failure distract from our work in California and in Washington,” Min wrote on May 3.
Porter, also a Democrat, has endorsed Min in his bid to replace her. She is leaving her House seat to run for Senate to replace retiring longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, state Treasurer Fiona Ma, state Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond, and state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara have also endorsed Min for Congress.
The Epoch Times reached out to Min’s office for comment.
Although some people commenting on Min’s statement were supportive of his transparency and accountability, some called for him to resign.
Min was first elected in 2020 to the county’s 37th state Senate district, which includes Anaheim Hills, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Orange, Tustin, and Villa Park.
Former State Sen. John Moorlach, a Republican who narrowly lost to Min in 2020, told The Epoch Times it would be a good idea for Min to consider whether he is “fit to remain as a State Senator and seriously reflect on whether he is Congressional material.”
“DUI arrests of elected officials are not taken well by voters,” Moorlach said. “Especially when one looks more like an opportunistic politician instead of an elected official.”
An outspoken critic of the gun industry, Min has sponsored some controversial anti-gun bills during his time in the state Senate. This year, he introduced a bill to force banks to choose between doing business with the firearms industry or with the state.
He successfully passed a bill in 2022 that banned gun shows on property owned and operated by the state, including the state’s county fairgrounds.
