| Scott Baugh | |
| Office: | Minority Leader of the California Assembly |
| Term Start: | April 6, 1999 |
| Term End: | November 9, 2000 |
| Predecessor: | Rod Pacheco |
| Successor: | Bill Campbell |
| Office1: | Member of the California Assembly from the 67th district |
| Term Start1: | November 29, 1995 |
| Term End1: | November 30, 2000 |
| Predecessor1: | Doris Allen |
| Successor1: | Tom Harman |
| Birth Name: | Scott Randall Baugh |
| Birth Date: | 4 July 1962 |
| Birth Place: | Redding, California, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican |
| Spouse: | Wendy (m. 1997) |
| Children: | 1 |
| Education: | Liberty University (BS) University of the Pacific (JD) |
Scott Randall Baugh (born July 4, 1962) is an American attorney and politician. He is a member of the Republican Party. He served in the California State Assembly[1] and served as the chair of the Republican Party in Orange County, California from the early 2000's to 2015.
Before entering politics, Baugh served as an attorney in private practice in Huntington Beach, California. Baugh's political career began after a recall was initiated in 1995 for what was then the 67th district of the state assembly.[2] After transitioning out of office, he became the chairman of the local Republican party of his area.
Baugh was the Republican candidate for California's 47th congressional district in the 2022 election, a race in which he was narrowly defeated by the incumbent. He is running for the same seat in the 2024 election.[3]
Scott Baugh was born in 1962 in Redding, California, to Helen and Cason Baugh.[4] Baugh grew up on a 10-acre farm in Redding, California. His father ran a linen supply business, and also leased ranchland. He was the 4th of 5 children, and served as a middle linebacker in high-school where he earned the nickname, "Dr. Death", for his onfield prowess.
In 1984, Baugh earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Liberty University, graduating summa cum laude. During his senior year in college, he served as an intern for a congressman on Capitol Hill.
In 1987, Baugh earned his Juris Doctor, with honors, from the McGeorge School of Law.[5] After graduating from law school, Baugh became an attorney in Huntington Beach, California.
After graduating from Law School, Baugh went into private practice with a law firm in Sacramento, California. He was then recruited into the corporate office of Union Pacific Railroad.
In June 1995, Assemblywoman Doris Allen, a Republican, was elected Assembly Speaker solely with the votes of Democratic Assembly members.[6] Her defection prevented Assembly Republicans, who had a bare majority, from electing their choice as speaker. California Republican leaders immediately began organizing a recall election.[7] On September 11, 1995, recall proponents submitted a recall petition with more than 26,000 signatures, qualifying the recall for the ballot.[8] The recall election took place on November 28, 1995, and Allen was recalled by an overwhelming margin, with 65.19% voting to recall her.[9] [10] [11]
Baugh ran as a candidate on the replacement ballot. Baugh earned the endorsement of Governor Pete Wilson, the Republican Party of Orange County, the Orange County congressional election and dozens of Republican state legislators.[12]
In addition to Baugh, the replacement ballot candidates included former Huntington Beach Councilman Don McAllister; businesswoman Haydee V. Tillotson; Huntington Beach City School District Trustee Shirley Carey; and Linda Moulton-Patterson, a member of the California Coastal Commission and former Huntington Beach councilmember. Moulton-Patterson, the lone Democrat on the ballot, was married to former 5-term Congressman Jerry Patterson.[13]
Tillotson withdrew from the race two weeks before the election, citing concern her continued candidacy would siphon Republican votes and allow Moulton-Patterson, the lone Democrat on the ballot, to win the replacement election.[14] However, Tillotson's name remained on the ballot and she did not endorse another candidate.[15]
Baugh won the replacement election by a comfortable margin, getting 40.9% of the vote. Moulton-Patterson finished second, with 28.6%. McAllister came in third with 10.1%, Tillotson fourth with 6.56% and Carey last with 4.16%.[16]
Later on, Baugh became involved in a controversy around the election that has been characterized as politically motivated.[17] Most of the original charges against Baugh were dismissed[18] [19] after a local judge ruled that the persecutors office engaged in prosecutorial misconduct by failing to present exculpatory evidence to the grand jury. The key witness was found to be "unreliable". The case was eventually turned over to a different prosecutor after a local judge found that the original attorney engaged in, "grave misconduct".. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer eventually requested that the judge overseeing the case dismiss[20] [21] the criminal charges after the case deteriorated in light of the evidence. The case was referred to the Fair Political Practices Commission by the attorney general which eventually levied a fine for civil infractions.[22]
While serving as an assemblymen, Baugh sponsored a number of bills relating to taxation,[23] healthcare, labor,transportation, judicial reform, liability laws and health insurance.
During his time in the State Assembly, Baugh pursued a middle course. He focused his efforts on providing much needed relief to individuals and businesses from onerous California regulations, like curbing excessive smog check rules.[24] This legislation is believed to have saved Californians 350 million dollars.
Serving as the vice chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, he was able to push legislation through that helped repair an eastern section of the San Francisco Bay Bridge.
Baugh was elected by his Republican colleagues to serve as Assembly Republican Leader in April 1999, a post he held until he was termed out in December 2000.[25]
On April 19, 2004,[26] Baugh was elected chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County, succeeding Tom Fuentes.[27] His leadership marked a change for the party in the county, which was previously remarkable for its hard-line stance.[28] His leadership marked a moderation in the party; under his leadership he united the local party, which had previously suffered from factional ideological differences.
In March 2007, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, seeking the GOP nomination for president in 2008, announced that Baugh would serve as a member of his California statewide finance committee.[29] [30] In this capacity, he was instrumental in raising over 2 million dollars for Romney in Orange County.[31] [32]
Baugh supported Romney in the 2012 Presidential Election as well. During the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries Baugh served as a California Delegate.[33]
In January 2015, Baugh stepped down as party chair and was succeeded by Fred Whitaker.[34] [35] [36]
Baugh, along with several other challengers, sought the nomination from Dana Rohrabacher for the Republican nomination for the seat, but was defeated in the primary.[37] [38] [39]
After a tough redistricting took place in 2021,[40] Baugh was the Republican candidate for California's 47th congressional district in the 2022 election.[41] He ran under the endorsement of several republican notables, including then House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. He advanced to the general election, where he faced incumbent Katie Porter, a Democrat, and lost.[42] [43] He lost by 9,000 votes, despite being significantly outraised during the campaign. Porter raised over 28 million,[44] [45] while Baugh raised 3 million.[46]
See main article: 2024 California's 47th congressional district election.
Baugh is the Republican candidate for California's 47th congressional district in the 2024 election.[47] The seat is open in 2024 as incumbent Katie Porter ran for a U.S. Senate seat, but lost. Baugh advanced from the March 2024 primary election.[3]
Baugh is a strong supporter of transparency in government,[48] and has publicly rebuked the congressional slush fund that is employed by the government to settle workplace disputes between government senior employers, including congressional office holders, and staff.
Publicly, Baugh has made his support for the traditional, legal channels of immigration well known.[49] Baugh advocates for reinforcing traditional channels of legal immigration within the United States, while strengthening border security policies, employer verification, and existing government policies around the management and handling of illegal aliens within the nation. Instead of employing a "one size fits all" solution; that is to say mass deportations - he has advocated for a more nuanced approach to handling the situation that takes into account the circumstances and conditions of the given immigrants standing and history. Relating to this matter, Baugh has stated, "A one-size solution for all immigrants is elusive because the circumstances range from an illegal border crossing last week to an illegal border crossing 20 years ago followed by 20 years of employment."
Baugh vociferously opposes congressional stock trading. Naming it an opportunity for corruption. Baugh has called for all members of congress to forgo all stock trading,[50] calling it hypocrisy that insider trading is illegal for citizens, but not for government officials; "Insider trading is illegal for the American people and should be illegal for members of Congress".
Baugh and his wife, Wendy, have a son. Baugh lives in Huntington Beach, California.[4] Baugh is at the head of several community initiatives that are designed to expand educational choices,[51] reduce local criminal activity through youth engagement and other philanthropic initiatives.[52]
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