Steven Choi

Steven Seokho Choi (Korean:최석호; born January 15, 1944) is a Korean American politician serving as a California State Senator, representing the 37th District since December 2, 2024. A Republican from Orange County, California, he previously served three terms as a California State Assemblymember representing the 68th Assembly District from 2016 to 2022.

Choi previously served two terms as Mayor of Irvine, California from 2012 to 2016. From 2004 to 2012, he served two terms on the Irvine City Council, where he was the first Asian American to have been elected to a four-year term. In 1998, Choi became the first Asian-American elected to the Irvine United School Board, leaving in the middle of his second term when he was elected to the City Council.

Early life and education

Steven Choi was born in 1944 in Naju, Zenranan Province, Korea, Empire of Japan (now in South Korea). Choi earned his B.A. from Kyung Hee University in 1966. In August 1968, Choi moved from South Korea to the United States as a Peace Corps language instructor for the United States Department of State. He then continued his post-graduate education, earning his master's degree in library science from Louisiana State University in 1971 and Ph.D. in library and information science at the University of Pittsburgh in 1976.

Career

Educator

Choi has taught at several universities and colleges including the University of Southern California; University of California, Irvine; California State University, Los Angeles; Henderson State University; Saddleback College; and most recently Coastline Community College. He founded and serves as director of Dr. Choi's Academy, a tutoring and academic enrichment business.

Local government

Choi was elected to the Irvine Unified School District Board of Education in 1998 and reelected in 2002. He was elected to the Irvine City Council in 2004, becoming the first Asian American elected to a four-year term on the council. He and Sukhee Kang (elected to a two-year term on the same day) became the first two Asian Americans and Koreans elected to the Irvine City Council. Choi served on the Irvine City Council until 2012, when he defeated councilman Larry Agran in the mayoral election and was elected to a two-year term as Irvine's mayor. He was reelected as mayor in 2014.[citation needed]

The Irvine city council at the time was composed of five members, including the mayor. The council had four Republican members (Choi, Christina Shea, Lynn Schott, and Jeff Lalloway) and one Democratic member (Beth Krom). During the course of new sister city negotiations, he successfully opposed the One-China principle demanded by Shanghai's Xuhui government in the People's Republic of China, which would have required Irvine to abandon its existing long-term sister city relationship with Taoyuan, Taiwan.[citation needed]

Choi served as Chairman of the Orange County Public Library Advisory Board, which consisted of mayors and city council members from 27 cities within Orange County, and he was also Chairman of the Irvine Library Advisory Committee. He served on the Orange County Great Park Corporation Board, where he pushed for construction of an Orange County/City Metropolitan Library at the Great Park. He also served on the boards of the Irvine Redevelopment Agency, the Orange County Sanitation District Board and other countywide committees.[citation needed]

In addition, Choi was a member of the Concordia University President's Advisory Council and was Irvine's representative to Growth Management Areas 4 and 9 and the Newport Bay Watershed Executive Committee. He formerly represented the 71st Assembly District on the Orange County Republican Party Central Committee. On June 3, 2008, he became the only incumbent to not be re-elected to the Orange County Republican Party Central Committee, coming in seventh with only 6.5% of the available vote. He was also a member of the Local Elected Officials Association and the 400 Club.[citation needed]

State Legislature

In 2010, Choi sought election to the California State Assembly, but narrowly lost the Republican primary to Donald P. Wagner, who went on to win the general election.

In 2016, Choi won election to the California State Assembly, narrowly defeating Anaheim City Councilman Harry Sidhu in the primary and winning the general election with 60% of the vote to replace Wagner, who in turn won election as Mayor of Irvine, replacing Choi.

In 2024, Choi won election to the California State Senate, narrowly defeating Senator Josh Newman in an upset.[citation needed]

Personal life

With his wife, Janie, and their two children, Choi has lived in Irvine since 1993. He previously lived in Mission Viejo from 1981 until 1993. Both of their children attended public schools in the Irvine Unified School District. His son, Daniel, is a physician at Kaiser Permanente in Orange County. His daughter, Michelle, is an attorney working in Irvine.[citation needed]

Electoral history

1998

2002

2004

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

See also

• History of the Korean Americans in Los Angeles

External links

• – Official campaign web site