Michelle Steel
Michelle Eunjoo Steel (née Park, born June 21, 1955) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for California's 45th congressional district since 2023, previously representing the 48th congressional district from 2021 to 2023.[2] A member of the Republican Party, she concurrently served as a member of House Minority Whip Steve Scalise's Whip Team for the 117th Congress.[3]
Michelle Steel | |
|---|---|
| 박은주 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Harley Rouda |
| Constituency | 48th district (2021–2023) 45th district (2023–present) |
| Chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors | |
| In office January 1, 2020 – January 1, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Lisa Bartlett |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Do |
| In office January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Lisa Bartlett |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Do |
| Vice Chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors | |
| In office January 1, 2019 – January 1, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Shawn Nelson |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Do |
| In office January 1, 2016 – January 1, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Lisa Bartlett |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Do |
| Member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors from the 2nd district | |
| In office January 5, 2015 – January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | John Moorlach |
| Succeeded by | Katrina Foley |
| Member of the California State Board of Equalization from the 3rd district | |
| In office January 5, 2007 – January 5, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Claude Parrish |
| Succeeded by | Diane Harkey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michelle Eunjoo Park June 21, 1955 Seoul, South Korea |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Pepperdine University (BA) University of Southern California (MBA) |
| Website | House website |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 박은주[1] |
| Hanja | 朴銀珠 |
| Revised Romanization | Bak Eunju |
| McCune–Reischauer | Pak Ŭn-ju |
Steel served as the member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors from the 2nd district from 2015 to 2021 and of the California State Board of Equalization from the 3rd district from 2007 to 2015.[4][5][6] Steel, fellow California Republican Young Kim and Democrat Marilyn Strickland of Washington are the first Korean-American women to serve in Congress. Steel and Kim, along with David Valadao, also became the first Republican congressional candidates since 1994 to unseat incumbent House Democrats in California.
Early life and education Edit
Steel was born in Seoul, South Korea.[6] Her father was born in Shanghai to Korean expatriate parents. Steel was educated in South Korea, Japan, and the United States. She holds a degree in business from Pepperdine University and an MBA from the University of Southern California. She is fluent in Korean and Japanese.[5]
California politics Edit
Steel has been active in Republican Party politics and served on various commissions in the George W. Bush administration.[7]
California State Board of Equalization Edit
Steel was elected to the California State Board of Equalization in 2006 when Republican incumbent Claude Parrish ran unsuccessfully for state Treasurer. Throughout her tenure, she served as the country's highest-ranking Korean American officeholder, and California's highest-ranking Republican woman.[4] She represented more than eight million people in the 3rd district, which then included all of Imperial, Orange, Riverside and San Diego Counties and parts of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties.[citation needed] In 2011, she was elected vice chair of the Board of Equalization.[8]
Orange County Board of Supervisors Edit
In 2014, Steel was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors representing the 2nd district, defeating state Assemblyman Allan Mansoor.[9]
In March 2018, Steel was the only elected official to greet President Donald Trump when he landed at LAX on his first official visit to California as president.[10] In 2019, Trump appointed her to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.[11]
Steel chaired the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2017 and again in 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she opposed mandatory face masks in Orange County.[12][13] She voted against requiring face coverings for retail employees[14] and opposed mask mandates in public schools. She questioned masks' efficacy in preventing the virus spread.[15]
On September 15, 2020, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved plans that could lead to increased private jet traffic at John Wayne Airport. Steel was criticized by her Democratic opponent, Harley Rouda, for taking campaign contributions from ACI Jet, the corporation that was awarded the contract.[16][17]
Steel and her husband Shawn supported the 2020-21 recall initiative against California Governor Gavin Newsom[18] and endorsed Larry Elder to replace him.[19]
U.S. House of Representatives Edit
Elections Edit
2020 Edit
In 2020, Steel ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in California's 48th congressional district.[20] She received 34.9% of the vote to advance from the primary and defeated incumbent Democrat Harley Rouda in the November 3 general election with 51.1% of the vote.[21] Steel raised $200,000 more than Rouda.[22]
During her campaign, Steel spoke out against COVID-19 mask mandates.[13] Her platform included opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and the creation of a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.[13][23] A conservative, she aligned herself with President Donald Trump.[24]
2022 Edit
On December 23, 2021, Steel announced that she would run in California's 45th congressional district in 2022 due to redistricting. She was endorsed by Kevin McCarthy, Young Kim, Ken Calvert, Mimi Walters, Andrew Do, and the Republican Party of Orange County.[25]
Steel defeated Democratic nominee Jay Chen in the November 8, 2022, general election.[26]
2024 Edit
Steel has filed paperwork to run for reelection in the district in 2024.[27]
Tenure Edit
Along with several other Republican U.S. House freshmen, Steel is a member of the Freedom Force, an informal group styled as a Republican counterpart to the Democratic group The Squad.[28]
Steel tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2021.[29] She referenced her own mild symptoms from her bout with COVID to advocate for opening up schools and businesses.[30]
Due to her COVID-19 quarantine, Steel missed voting on the certification of Joe Biden's Electoral College victory.[31] She voted against the second impeachment of Donald Trump on January 13, 2021.[32]
In early February 2021, Steel called for the reopening of schools in California.[33][34][35]
On February 25, 2021, Steel voted against the Equality Act, a bill that would prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation by amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act to explicitly include new protections.[36]
On February 27, 2021, Steel voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief and stimulus bill.[37][38]
In March 2021, Steel introduced a bill that would block federal funding from being used to support California’s high-speed rail project, which she called a "failure."[39]
In June 2021, Steel was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal the AUMF against Iraq.[40][41]
In 2021, Steel joined a majority of Republican representatives in signing onto an amicus brief to overturn Roe v. Wade.[42]
As of December 2022, Steel had voted in line with President Joe Biden's stated position 21% of the time.[43]
Committee assignments Edit
For the 118th Congress:[44]
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- Committee on Ways and Means
- Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party
Caucus memberships Edit
- Conservative Climate Caucus[45]
- Republican Governance Group[46]
Political positions Edit
Abortion Edit
As of November 2022[update], Steel had a A+ rating from the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List for her voting history on bills related to abortion during the 117th Congress.[47]
LGBT rights Edit
In July 2022, Steel voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, which would require the U.S. federal government to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages.[48][49]
At a 2014 political event Steel recounted that she had withdrawn her younger daughter from the University of California, Santa Cruz after her daughter voiced support for same-sex marriage and President Barack Obama. The daughter completed her education at Loyola Marymount and Vanderbilt universities. An LBGTQ rights organization publicized this story during her 2020 campaign.[50]
Personal life Edit
In 1981, Steel married Shawn Steel, who became California Republican Party chairman from 2001 to 2003 and Republican National Committeeman from California since 2008. They have two daughters and live in Seal Beach, California.[51] Steel is a Christian.[52]
Electoral history Edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michelle Steel (incumbent) | 113,163 | 52.4 | |
| Democratic | Jay Chen | 102,802 | 47.6 | |
| Total votes | 215,965 | 100 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michelle Steel | 201,738 | 51.1 | |||
| Democratic | Harley Rouda (incumbent) | 193,362 | 48.9 | |||
| Total votes | 395,100 | 100 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Steel (incumbent) | 80,854 | 63.4 | |
| Brendon Perkins | 31,387 | 24.6 | |
| Michael Mahony | 15,281 | 12.0 | |
| Total votes | 127,522 | 100.0 | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Steel | 62.5 | ||
| Allan Mansoor (incumbent) | 37.5 | ||
| Total votes | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michelle Steel (incumbent) | 1,325,538 | 54.9 | |
| Democratic | Mary Christian Heising | 836,057 | 34.6 | |
| Libertarian | Jerry L. Dixon | 117,783 | 4.8 | |
| Peace and Freedom | Mary Lou Finley | 79,870 | 3.3 | |
| American Independent | Terri Lussenheide | 59,513 | 2.4 | |
| Total votes | 2,418,761 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michelle Steel | 1,147,514 | 56.99 | |
| Democratic | Mary Christian-Heising | 774,499 | 38.47 | |
| Peace and Freedom | Mary Finley | 91,467 | 4.54 | |
| Total votes | 2,013,480 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
See also Edit
References Edit
- ^ "'영옥씨' 영 김 후보도 당선…한국계 4명 미 의회 입성 (... Four Korean-Americans Enter U.S. Congress)". Korea Times (in Korean). November 13, 2020. from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ "Rep. Harley Rouda Concedes to Republican Challenger in 48th District Congressional District Race". NBC Los Angeles. November 10, 2020. from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ @RepSteel (February 2, 2021). "Today I joined @SteveScalise on our first Whip Team call of the 117th Congress! I am so honored to join this team and am ready to get to work supporting policies that help #CA48 families & businesses thrive" (Tweet). Retrieved February 2, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Steel, Michelle Park. . California State Board of Equalization. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2007.
- ^ a b [Asian Americans support Park's election to tax board]. August 23, 2006. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved February 20, 2007.
- ^ a b Michelle Steel, JoinCalifornia.com, from the original on December 28, 2010, retrieved September 29, 2011
- ^ Hall, Madison; Panetta, Grace; Neilson, Susie (November 10, 2020). "Results: Republican Michelle Steel defeats first-term Rep. Harley Rouda in California's 48th Congressional District". Business Insider. from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ^ Arie Dana (January 26, 2011). (PDF). California Board of Equalization. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 8, 2011.
- ^ Shine, Nicole (November 5, 2014). "Two new faces join Board of Supervisors". The Orange County Register. from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
- ^ Gerda, Nick (March 15, 2018). "OC Supervisor Michelle Steel Welcomed President Trump at LAX". Voice of OC. from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ "Trump names Michelle Park Steel co-chair of president's advisory commission on AAPIs". The Rafu Shimpo. February 3, 2019. from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
- ^ "Californians must wear face masks in public under coronavirus order issued by Newsom". Los Angeles Times. June 18, 2020. from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ a b c Green, Miranda (October 21, 2020). "The Mask Backlash That Could Oust a Democratic Congressman". Intelligencer. from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ "OC Supervisors Vote To Require Face Coverings For Many Retail Employees". MyNewsLA.com. April 22, 2020. from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ Custodio, Spencer (May 26, 2020). "Orange County Public Health Officials Under Fire Over Mask Order". Voice of OC. from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- ^ Brandon Pho (September 15, 2020). "Private Jet Plan for John Wayne Airport Sparks Resident Concern and Corruption Allegations". Voice of OC. from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ Siebenmark, Jerry. "With New SNA Lease in Hand, ACI Plans $85M Project". Aviation International News. from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ Lara Korte; David Lightman (April 22, 2021). "Some of the biggest names in the California GOP are staying quiet on recalling Gavin Newsom". Sacramento Bee. from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ^ D'Urso, William (August 17, 2021). "Orange County GOP chair endorses Larry Elder for governor". spectrumnews1.com. from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ^ "O.C. Supervisor Michelle Steel to challenge Rep. Harley Rouda in 2020 election". Associated Press. May 3, 2019. from the original on May 29, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ "Michelle Steel". Ballotpedia. from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
- ^ Denkmann, Libby. Four Lessons From The Southern California House Seats Republicans Reclaimed In 2020 December 4, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, KPCC, 89.3 FM, Southern California Public Radio, Pasadena, California, December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "Race Heating Up For California's 48th District Seat As Rouda, Steel Face Off". September 14, 2020. from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ "California Republican leaders go all in on Trump's election subterfuge, but some are more vocal than others". Los Angeles Times. November 20, 2020. from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ^ "Rep. Michelle Steel to Run in California's New 45th Congressional District". Orange County Breeze. December 23, 2021. from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ Blood, Michael. California wins leave GOP poised to seize US House control November 15, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Associated Press, November 11, 2022.
- ^ "Michelle Steel Statement of Candidacy" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. December 6, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ Noor, Poppy (November 30, 2020). "The 'Freedom Force': Republican group takes on the Squad and 'evil' socialism". The Guardian. from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ Ke, Bryan (January 8, 2021). "California Congresswoman Who Once Questioned Mask-Wearing Catches COVID-19". NextShark. from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021 – via news.yahoo.com.
- ^ "Surfside Rep. Michelle Steel Scolded For COVID Joke By Political Opponent Harley Rouda". CBS Los Angeles. January 28, 2021. from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ Nixon, Nicole (January 7, 2021). "Here's How California Representatives Voted On Certifying Biden's Election, And Who Is Calling For Trump's Removal". Sacramento, Calif.: Capital Public Radio. from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
- ^ Cai, Weiyi; Daniel, Annie; Gamio, Lazaro; Parlapiano, Alicia (January 13, 2021). "Impeachment Results: How Democrats and Republicans Voted". The New York Times. from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
- ^ Staggs, Brooke (February 9, 2021). "Here's what local House members are doing, so far, in the legislative fight against COVID-19". Orange County Register. Anaheim, Calif. from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ @RepSteel (February 10, 2021). "How it started vs. How it's going: #opentheschools" (Tweet). Retrieved February 11, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ @RepSteel (February 11, 2021). "The science is clear: there is little evidence schools contribute meaningfully to increased community transmission of #COVID19. I joined over 60 of my @HouseGOP colleagues in a letter to @POTUS urging him to follow the science & #opentheschools. It's time to put our kids first" (Tweet). Retrieved February 11, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Here's every Republican who voted against the Equality Act". Metro Weekly. February 25, 2021. from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ "Rep. Steel: "Relief should be targeted, temporary and tied to COVID"" (Press release). Washington, DC: Cong. Michelle Steele. March 1, 2021. from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
- ^ Staggs, Brooke (March 28, 2021). "Young Kim and Michelle Steel carve out different paths in Congress". Orange County Register. from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
- ^ "Orange County Republicans take aim at California's bullet train". Orange County Register. March 1, 2021. from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ "Repeal the 2001, 2002 authorizations for use of military force". Los Angeles Daily News. June 19, 2021. from the original on June 19, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- ^ "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 172". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. July 17, 2021. from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ "No. 19-1392" (PDF). US Senate. 2021. from the original on October 17, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (April 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. from the original on January 17, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ "Michelle Steel". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ "Conservative Climate Caucus". Congressman Curtis. from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ "Homepage of Republican Governance Group". Republican Governance Group. December 14, 2019. from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ "Michelle Steel". SBA Pro-Life America. from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
- ^ "These Are the 157 House of Representatives Members Who Voted Against Protecting Marriage Equality". Katie Couric Media. July 20, 2022. from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ "H.R. 8404: Respect for Marriage Act -- House Vote #373 -- Jul 19, 2022". GovTrack.us. from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
- ^ "California GOP congressional candidate claimed she withdrew her daughter from college for supporting gay marriage". Metro Weekly. July 8, 2020. from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ^ Steel, Michelle Park. . California State Board of Equalization. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
- ^ Steel, Michelle Park. . Susan B. Anthony List. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ "California Election Results: 45th Congressional District". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ "California Election Results: 48th Congressional District". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ "Orange County Statewide Direct Primary Election June 5, 2018". Orange County Elections. from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "Two New Faces join Board of Supervisors". Orange County Elections. November 5, 2014. from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
External links Edit
Media related to Michelle Steel at Wikimedia Commons
- Representative Michelle Steel official U.S. House website
- Campaign website
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN