Scott Baugh

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 and served as the chair of the Republican Party in Orange County, California, from the early 2000s to 2015.

Baugh attended Liberty University and McGeorge School of Law. After graduating, Baugh served as an attorney in private practice in Huntington Beach. Baugh entered politics after a recall was initiated in 1995 for the 67th district of the state assembly; he served as minority leader of the California Assembly. After leaving office, he became the chairman of the local Republican Party.

Baugh was a twice unsuccessful Republican nominee for California's 47th congressional district in 2022 and 2024, losing to Democrats Katie Porter and Dave Min respectively.

Early life and education

Scott Baugh was born in 1962 in Redding, California, to Helen and Cason Baugh. 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 fourth of five children. Baugh played as a middle linebacker on his high school football team, earning 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. After graduating from law school, Baugh became an attorney in Huntington Beach, California.

Career

Lawyer

After graduating from law school, Baugh went into private practice with a law firm in Sacramento, California. He later joined the corporate office of Union Pacific Railroad.

Assemblyman

In 1995, Baugh ran as a replacement candidate for the recall of Assemblywoman Doris Allen. The recall election took place on November 28, 1995, and Allen was recalled with 65.19% voting to recall her. Baugh was endorsed by Governor Pete Wilson, the Republican Party of Orange County, the Orange County congressional delegation, and Republican members of the state legislature. Baugh won the replacement election, getting 40.9% of the vote.

Later, Baugh was involved in a controversy around the election that had legal ramifications. He was subsequently indicted. Most of the original charges against Baugh were dismissed after a local judge ruled that the prosecutor's office had 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 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.

While serving in the state legislature, Baugh focused his attention on judicial reform, liability laws and health insurance. Additionally, he authored a number of bills that focused on safety for minors.

1997

During his time in the State Assembly, Baugh worked against state regulation, including getting a bill passed that exempted new cars from smog checks for the first five years. This legislation is believed to have saved Californians 350 million dollars.

Serving as the vice chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, he helped pass legislation that helped repair an eastern section of the San Francisco Bay Bridge.

Assembly Leader

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. Baugh's term as leader was characterized by members of both parties as successful as he consistently reached across the aisle. As leader, he sponsored legislation on grand jury reform and police officer training on the rights of suspects.

Orange County Republican Party

On April 19, 2004, Baugh was elected chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County, succeeding Tom Fuentes. Under his leadership, the party moderated its positions and repaired relations with state and national Republicans.

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. In this capacity, he raised over $2 million for Romney in Orange County.

Baugh supported Romney in the 2012 presidential election. During the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries, Baugh served as a California delegate.

In January 2015, Baugh stepped down as party chair and was succeeded by Fred Whitaker.

U.S. House of Representatives

2022

After redistricting took place in 2021, Baugh was the Republican candidate for California's 47th congressional district in the 2022 election. He ran under the endorsement of several Republicans, including then House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. He advanced to the general election, where he lost to incumbent Democrat Katie Porter. He lost by 9,000 votes and was out fundraised by Porter 28 million to 3 million.

2024

Baugh was the Republican candidate for California's 47th congressional district in the 2024 election. The seat was open in 2024 as incumbent Katie Porter ran for a U.S. Senate seat, but lost. Baugh advanced from the March 2024 primary election, where he lost to Democrat Dave Min. He lost by approximately 10,000 votes, conceding on Twitter "It has become clear that despite running a strong campaign, connecting with voters, and mobilizing an incredible volunteer effort - that effort is going to come up a little short."

Political positions

Abortion

After the Dobbs decision, Baugh has described abortion as a “state-by-state issue".

In 2022, Baugh stated “Life begins at conception. Others may disagree as to precisely when life begins, but there should be no disagreement as to whether it is OK to abort children who have reached the point of viability. We need to promote a culture of life in America – not a culture of termination.”

Balanced Budget

Baugh is a proponent for responsible government spending and believes that the federal deficit needs to be balanced urgently. Additionally, he's an advocate for a constitutional amendment to require congress to balance the budget.

Congressional stock trading

Baugh opposes congressional stock trading and has called for all members of Congress to forego trading.

Foreign Aid

Baugh has called for reduced foreign aid by America "...the Litmus test for providing military and/or financial aid to foreign countries is whether America is protecting its citizens and is that aid promoting our national security interest. Far too often, our representatives entangle the U.S. in foreign affairs and foreign wars with very thin connections to national security, costing American lives and billions of dollars". Baugh has further commented, "... when it is clear that our national security is at risk ... the U.S. should provide assistance."

Government transparency

Baugh is a strong supporter of transparency in government, and has criticized the congressional fund that is used by the government to settle workplace disputes between government senior employers, including congressional office holders, and staff.

Immigration and border security

Baugh has expressed support for legal immigration and also supports strict enforcement of immigration law, such as employer verification. He is against mass deportation and advocates for a nuanced approach, believing that each case should have the circumstances of the person’s behaviour taken into account. Baugh is an advocate for tightening security at the border. He advocates for a "tall fence and a wide gate". He's advocated for ensuring the government has policies in place to secure the border, reducing and eliminating crime around the border, and strengthening enforcement.

Personal life

Baugh and his wife, Wendy, have a son. Baugh lives in Huntington Beach, California. Baugh is part of several community initiatives and has worked with the OC Fair.

Electoral history

State Assembly

1995

1996

1998

Congressional

2018

2022

2024

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Baugh, Scott
1962 births
Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections
Liberty University alumni
Living people
McGeorge School of Law alumni
Republican Party members of the California State Assembly
Politicians from Huntington Beach, California
People from Redding, California
Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections
Candidates in the 2024 United States House of Representatives elections
20th-century members of the California State Legislature