Steven Choi

Steven Seokho Choi (; 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.

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.

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.

Electoral history 1998

2002

2004

2012

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024