Dave Min has declared he’ll challenge Republican Congresswoman Mimi Walters, becoming the second Democratic, Harvard-educated UC Irvine law professor to join the 2018 race in the past three days.

Min, the 41-year-old son of Korean immigrants and a former aide to Sen. Chuck Schumer, said his decision to run grew out of Donald Trump’s victory in November and his frustration with the new president.

“The straw that broke the camel’s back was the Muslim (travel) ban,” he told the Register on Tuesday. “You think about what brought my parents here — it was the core American values of tolerance, diversity, economic opportunity and social mobility. What Trump was doing with the Muslim ban was un-American. Who’s next on Donald Trump’s list?”

Min joins fellow UC Irvine Professor Katie Porter in the race. Porter is a consumer advocate who oversaw California’s share of the $25 billion national mortgage settlement, studied and wrote a book with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and has been endorsed by Warren and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.

Like Porter, Min’s law degree is from Harvard. His undergraduate degree is in economics, from Wharton School, and he specializes in contracts, banking regulations and housing loans. And like Porter, he emphasizes that Walters has voted consistently with Trump so far and was an early supporter of Republicans’ abandoned repeal-and-replacement of Obamacare.

Min also complains that Walters hasn’t made a public statement regarding her view of the travel ban.

The Irvine resident emphasizes his experience developing and implementing policy, including three years with the left-leaning Center for American Progress advocacy think tank. His 2007-to-2009 stint with current Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer was mostly spent as an aide to the Joint Economic Committee, of which Schumer was then chairman.

As for policy differences between himself and Porter, Min said, “On the issues, there will be time to talk later.”

Instead, he pointed to differences in the background of the two Democrats, including his having Korean immigrant parents.

“I think I have a lot in common with a lot of people in the district,” he said.

The district consists of Irvine, Tustin, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Rancho Santa Margarita, Laguna Woods, Villa Park, Anaheim Hills and a portion of Orange.. Walters lives outside of the district in Laguna Beach as district residency is not a requirement for Congress.

Min said about 20 percent of the district’s eligible voters are of Asian or Pacific Island descent. He also noted that Korean Americans nationwide have displayed an eagerness to support candidates from their community. In 2012, Irvine Democrat Sukhee Kang, a Korean immigrant, raised $755,000 for a longshot bid against then-incumbent Rep. John Campbell, R-Irvine, with much of the money coming from Korean Americans.

At that time, Republicans had a 15.5 percentage point advantage over Democrats in the district’s voter registration. That edge is now 9.2 points and shrinking. Additionally, Hillary Clinton outpolled Trump among the district’s voters last year, further buoying Democrats’ hopes and making the race more attractive to Democratic donors.

Min estimated that Walters would get $8 million in direct contributions and independent expenditures for the 2018 general election and that a successful opponent would need at least $5 million for the November race. He acknowledged that there was a danger of Democrats burning money in a competitive primary that would be needed in the general election – and that at least one more Democrat is expected to enter the race.

“Hopefully by January, some will have dropped out,” he said. “If I see I don’t have a chance, I will drop out.”