Dr. Steven Choi was elected to represent California’s 68th Assembly District in 2016. He began his career in public service when he was elected to the Irvine Unified School District Board of Education in 1998. He left that post in 2004 when he was elected to join the Irvine City Council, where he served for eight years before being elected Mayor of Irvine in 2012.

Born in South Korea, Steven Choi earned his B.A. degree from Kyung Hee University in Seoul, South Korea. He came to the United States from South Korea as a Peace Corps language instructor for the State Department in August 1968. He then continued his post-graduate education, earning his master's degree in Library Science from Louisiana State University, and his Ph.D. in Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh.

He has taught at several universities and colleges including USC, UCI, California State University, Los Angeles, Henderson State University in Arkansas, Saddleback College, and most recently, Coastline Community College. He founded and serves as Director of Dr. Choi's Academy.

With extensive experience in local office, Choi was elected to the Irvine Unified School District School Board on November 3, 1998 and reelected on November 5, 2002. He was elected to the Irvine City Council on November 2, 2004, becoming the first Asian American elected to a four-year term on the Council. Choi served as an Irvine City Council Member until 2012, when he was elected to his first of two terms as Irvine's Mayor.

Committed to excellence in early education, he was the founder and director of highly successful Dr. Choi's Academy. The Academy focuses on providing tutoring and academic enrichment programs for students. Alongside Steven, his wife, Janie, has also been serving Orange County children for over 21 years with Kumon Math and Reading academic program.

Steven brings his wide breadth of experience to the State Assembly, having served on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and the Orange County Sanitation District. He also served on several other vital boards, such as the Orange County Public Library Advisory Board and the President's Advisory Council at Concordia University. In the Assembly, Choi serves as Vice-Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Higher Education. He also serves on the Banking and Finance Committee, Health and Human Services - Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee, and the Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism & Internet Media.

Dr. Choi and his wife Janie live in Irvine where they raised their two children, Daniel and Michelle.

I am an educator and small business owner who is using his experience to improve lives in Orange County and across California.

I’m fighting to reduce the cost of living by:

•    Protecting Prop 13 to keep property taxes down
• Opposed the gas tax hike and efforts tax utility bills
• Reducing the cost of health care and prescription drugs
• Making college more affordable

I’ve worked hard to create new and better paying full-time jobs in Orange County to promote innovative job opportunities for working families.

I’m working to reform, modernize, and hold our education system accountable – both at the K-12 level and in higher education.

I have supported efforts to provide the assistance needed to lead the homeless to productive lives and opportunity so they will stop living in our parks and our our streets and obey our laws.

Solving all these problems will take time, but we can do it if we work together. Count on me to work with Democrats and Republicans to forge solutions to the problems facing our county and state.

An Orange County native, Melissa Fox is a business owner, wife, mother, attorney, veterans’ advocate and dedicated community leader.

Melissa is the founder of the Melissa Fox Law Firm, a civil law and public affairs firm located in Irvine, California, specializing in business law and public affairs advocacy. She has also earned a California real estate broker’s license.

Melissa was elected in November 2016 to a four-year term on the Irvine City Council.  She previously served for four years as a Commissioner on the City of Irvine Community Services Commission, which advises the City on Irvine’s parks, recreational, cultural, and youth facilities and programs.  As a member of the Community Services Commission, Melissa fought to ensure that developers provide ample open space and park and recreation facilities for both children and adults, for increased childcare, and to ensure that our seniors have state-of-the-art recreation and healthcare facilities. She has championed active and public transportation in Irvine as a means of reducing traffic congestion, and has also been Irvine’s most public advocate for more and safer bicycling, for both recreation and commuting.

Melissa also serves as a Director of The Great Park, Chair of the Irvine Community Land Trust, a member of the Orange County Public Library Advisory Board, most recent past Chair of the Irvine Green Ribbon Environmental Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Fire Authority.

In addition to her service as an Irvine City Council Member and Community Services Commissioner, Melissa has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Beckman High School Football Boosters and Beckman High School Wrestling Boosters, and serves as a volunteer adult leader with the Sea Scouts (a co-ed program of the Boy Scouts of America) at the Dana Point Sea Base.  Melissa also served in the Orange County Park Ranger Reserve. Melissa also participates in many professional and community organizations, including the Irvine Chamber of Commerce, the Women Lawyers Association, and Women in Leadership.

The daughter of a Korean War combat veteran, Melissa has been active in advocating for increased City support for veterans, particularly those recently returning from deployment. She has called for the creation of an Irvine Veterans Advisory Committee, so that veterans have a strong voice of their own in city government.  She has also been a steadfast supporter of a Southern California Veterans Cemetery, located on the grounds of the former El Toro Marine Base.  The Orange County Register has called her “an incredible advocate for veterans and the [veterans] cemetery in Irvine.” Since her election to the Irvine City Council, Melissa has received the Orange County Taxpayers Watchdog Award for fiscal responsibility, the Active Transportation Change Maker Award from the Alliance for a Healthy Orange County, the Hero of Children Award from the Child Abuse Prevention Network, has been named Orange County’s “Best Politician” by the OC Weekly, and as one of Orange County “100 Most Influential” people by the Orange County Register.

Melissa lives with her husband, Dr. Michael Fox, in the Portola Springs community of Irvine. Their son Max is studying firefighting and emergency services management at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

With Washington in continuous disarray, it's more important than ever that we ensure California is a beacon of hope, progress, and opportunity for the people of our state. ​

For too long, residents of the 68th Assembly District have not had a seat at the table where decisions are made in Sacramento. I'm going to change that -- and make sure our voices are heard, loud and clear. ​

I'm running for State Assembly to bring common sense leadership to Sacramento that represents the true values and interests of our district. That means building safer neighborhoods, ensuring high quality public education, growing a strong middle-class economy, and protecting our air and water.  It also means investing in infrastructure, renewable energy, fire protection, health care, and transportation, while holding government accountable, fighting waste, and safeguarding taxpayer dollars.

We can do all of this and simultaneously create a more compassionate and inclusive state for the people of California.  Together, we can make our district a better place to live, work, and raise our families.

Eugene Fields is a husband and father,  the son and grandson of veterans, an award-winning communications professional, an award-winning journalist, a human rights advocate, a public finance watchdog and a working-class American.

Eugene is the son of an African American mother and a Japanese American father who was unjustly incarcerated in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Raised in Los Angeles, Eugene grew up with a desire to "Change the World, One Person at a Time."

An Orange County resident for nearly 30 years, Eugene began his professional career as a reporter for the Orange County Register, winning state awards for his coverage of the largest mass murder in Orange County history.

He is an award-winning communications professional for the regional chapter of a national civil rights and advocacy nonprofit. Eugene is also an associate professor in the School of Business at Westcliff University in Irvine.

Eugene is the former co-chair of the OCTA Taxpayer Oversight Committee, recently finishing an unpaid three-year term monitoring the use of an estimated $13 billion of Measure M funds and ensuring that all revenue collected from Measure M is spent on voter-approved transportation projects.

He holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Communication, both from the University of Phoenix.

Eugene lives in Orange with his wife, Tonda and his daughter, MacKenzie.

I am running to represent all the residents and cities of the 68th Assembly District.

My main concerns are:

• Addressing the homeless epidemic
• Building an economy that works for all
• Creating affordable housing
• Ensuring access to quality healthcare
• Making sure our streets are safe
• Strengthening public education
• Protecting human rights for all
• Preserving our environment

Benjamin Yu is a Christian, husband, father, service-disabled veteran, and well-known community activist. He immigrated to the United States with his family, grew up in the humble neighborhood in New York City, and served after the 9/11 terrorist attack while working for a firm in Wall Street.

“I looked to the Statue of Liberty with tears in my eyes. My first job was shoveling snow and removing the condo complex trash. I’ve worn blue collars, white collars, and a uniform which gave me the opportunity to go to college with the GI Bill.” Benjamin’s journey of the American Dream encompassed New England, the heartland of America, Pacific Northwest, and Southern California. His profound love of his adopted land, and diverse life experience coupled with resiliency and hard work, attributed to his success from a barehanded immigrant to a community leader.

Benjamin and his wife are small business owners. They reside in the city of Lake Forest in the beautiful Saddleback Valley. Benjamin is committed to his community and has been actively involved in many organizations for veterans, homeless, and immigrants. At present, Benjamin serves as a commissioner for the City's Traffic and Parking Commission and board members of several organizations. Their daughter Caroline goes to a Christian school as they believe scientific teaching and character building is the essence of life success and affection for the community and country. They will carry the burden until the state legislature gradually lifts the education standard and grants parental choice in certain curriculum and schools.

Since my days volunteering as DAV chapter legislator, I could’ve never imagined running for public office. However, the sense of urgency caused by the current direction of the community and its effect on our way of life spurred me to action. I am blessed to raise my family in Orange County and humbled by the encouragement and support for taking up the baton. I will always passionately serve the interest of my constituents and selflessly fulfill my duty to my community with honor and integrity.

With his diverse life experience, Benjamin Yu can bring people from all walks of life together and seek solutions through common ground. His reputation, background, and demonstrated leadership will allow him to best represent the common values of State Assembly 68th district. His common-sense approach will guide balanced growth and protect the middle-class with strong emphasis on education, public safety, and fiscal responsibility. Benjamin will bridge and help build a community of inclusiveness and diversity. He is a person we can trust safeguard our success and the path to the American Dream for generations to come.

Our State Legislature in Sacramento continues to defy our common values.  Every aspect of our lives is subject to regulation in their eyes.  We are taxed at every turn with the ultimate objective of becoming dependent on the state government.  The elitists in Sacramento have forced millions of hardworking families to live paycheck to paycheck.  In fact, many are just one payday away from homelessness, bankruptcy or poverty.  We can do better, and we absolutely must! 

The United States, California and Orange County remain among the most desired places in the world to live!  I believe Ronald Reagan thought of Orange County when he mentioned the "Shining City on a Hill!"  It's the home to great hope and prosperity.  Many seeking the "American Dream" from abroad arrive in Orange County in pursuit of happiness!  It is a beacon of free enterprise, strong family values, and religious freedom. 

But our legislators have lost sight of why California is known as the Golden State.  We must return choice in education to parents, we need to reduce taxes for the middle class, we need to support law enforcement and reassure our Orange County families that this is a safe place to raise their children and grandchildren.  We need to honor our Veterans and build the Orange County Veteran's Cemetery! 

We must exercise common sense in decision making and ignore special interests when it comes to doing what is best for our county and state.  We must assure a fair ballot measure process, one that does not "trick" people into voting for a specified agenda as was the case with the Gas Tas Repeal and Prop. 13.  We must protect and preserve social equality and assure that as our Constitution states, all men are created equal and have the opportunity to achieve happiness and the American Dream.

I'm running for State Assembly because I've been blessed... blessed to live the American Dream... blessed to call Orange County, California my home.  I'm blessed by God by a loving wife and beautiful daughter... and I owe it to them, and to you and your family to represent Orange County in a manner that you deserve.  If elected, you will get everything I have.  I will not rest until as a resident of Orange County, you sleep at night feeling as blessed as I do.  I'm not running to just "hold" office, I'm running to be your representative.  Join me in making Orange County the home we always dreamed of, and know it can be!