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Your guide to California's state Senate District 37 race: Choi vs. Newman

The race for California's Senate District 37 is down to two contenders after a packed primary election attracted nearly a dozen hopefuls.

Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman of Fullerton and former state Assemblymember Steven Choi, a Republican from Irvine, are now facing off to represent an Orange County district that's home to nearly 600,000 voters.

A combination of redrawn district boundaries and some political musical chairs has energized the race, setting it up to be one of the most-watched legislative contests in November.

Who are the candidates?

Newman, 59, was first elected to the California Senate in 2016, defeating Republican Ling Ling Chang. But his victory in a closely divided district did not hold. Voters recalled Newman in 2018 and replaced him with Chang following a GOP attack over his siding with his fellow Democrats in voting to increase the state’s gas tax.

In 2020, Newman, a U.S. Army veteran, clawed his way back into office to reclaim the seat. He chairs the Senate Education Committee and has written bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom that ensure all public school students get 30 minutes of recess and that all swimming pools include drowning prevention features. He also fought for millions of dollars in the latest state budget to help repair a sinkhole that has caused problems in La Habra.

If reelected, Newman said, he will focus on reducing gun violence and protecting reproductive rights.

Choi, 80, served in the state Assembly from 2016 to 2022 and was previously mayor of Irvine, where he made a splash when he fought to display “In God we trust” on a wall in the City Council chambers despite concerns about keeping church and state separate.

An immigrant from South Korea, Choi did not win reelection in 2022 when redistricting pit him against another Assembly incumbent, Democrat Cottie Petrie Norris of Laguna Beach.

He is a former Irvine school board member and college educator and founded a tutoring academy. He has written bills that created laws to support mental health care and crack down on college admissions exceptions, after a scandal that ensnared celebrities came to light in 2019.

Choi's Senate campaign tenets include opposing any new taxes and exposing "wasteful spending" by the state.

Where is the district?

The new Senate District 37 is made up of portions of Orange County, including the cities of Irvine, Costa Mesa, Laguna Niguel and Lake Forest. It also includes parts of Anaheim, Fullerton and Santa Ana.

Proposition 3

California voters will decide in November whether to reaffirm gay marriage rights in the state Constitution and repeal an outdated provision that still defines marriage as between a man and woman.

Newman backs the measure, and has written legislation that supports LGBTQ+ rights, including a bill signed into law last year that requires all public schools to offer gender-neutral bathrooms.

Choi opposes Proposition 3 and has abstained from voting on many bills regarding LGTBQ+ rights. He voted against a 2022 law that expands family leave benefits to include LGBTQ+ families.

"As a Christian and conservative person, I support the marriage between a natural man and woman," Choi told The Times.

Proposition 36

Los Angeles Police Protective League-backed Proposition 36 will ask voters whether they want to revise parts of Proposition 47, which a decade ago turned some nonviolent felonies into misdemeanors.

Both District 37 candidates support the new measure, which would stiffen penalties for certain thefts and fentanyl crimes.

Choi blamed Proposition 47 for a prevalence in retail thefts. "The result is how horrible it has become. So any way we can stop it, I support," he said. "Rising crime rate is always a concern for the public."

While many Republicans echo Choi's sentiments, Newman's support for the measure sets him apart from some of his fellow Democrats.

"We should be deliberate about not overwhelming our prison system and not being heavy-handed, but I believe that it's important for elected officials to always be aware that there are often unintended consequences, and we should always be willing to address those," he said.