Republican Incumbent Michelle Steel Pulls Ahead of Challenger in Orange County Congressional Race

Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) speaks during a hearing about the Chinese Communist Party's forced organ harvesting before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China in Washington on March 20, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

After pulling ahead in early results, Democratic challenger Derek Tran is now falling behind Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) in California’s 45th Congressional District.

Steel has garnered 51 percent of the vote, while Tran has 49 percent in unofficial early results as of 11:45 p.m. on Nov. 5.

The 45th Congressional District has been one of the most hotly contested in the country and was closely watched as an indicator of the Asian American vote nationwide.

According to the Census Bureau, more than one-third of all registered voters in the district are Asian. The district is made up of cities in southern Los Angeles County and northern Orange County.

According to a poll released on Oct. 22 by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), Democratic challenger Derek Tran led incumbent Rep. Michelle Park Steel (R-Calif.) 48 percent to 45 percent.

Steel won the March 5 primary with more than 52 percent of the vote. Tran received 15.9 percent of the vote, splitting the challenger vote with Democrat Kim Nguyen-Penaloza, who received 15.6 percent.

The Incumbent

Steel, 69, a South Korean immigrant raised in Japan, is running for a third term.

She was elected to the House for the first time in 2020, when she defeated Democrat Harley Rouda to represent the 48th District. Because of redistricting, she ran for the 45th District seat in 2022, defeating Democratic challenger Jay Chen.

The 45th District, in which Democrats hold a 4-point voter registration lead, voted for Kamala Harris in the 2016 Senate race.

Steel has been a staunch opponent of tax increases, while pledging support for Israel in its war with Hamas. In addition, she has supported increased police funding and spotlighted her efforts on domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Steel opposes abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. She does not support a federal abortion ban. She has served on the State Board of Equalization, as well as on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, including two years as chairwoman.

Her top donors include the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the Republican Jewish Coalition, and BP Industries. As of Oct. 16, she had raised more than $9 million. She is married to Shawn Steel, who has served as the Republican National Committee Member from California since 2008.

The Challenger

Steel’s opponent, Derek Tran, is the son of Vietnamese refugees. An Army veteran and consumer rights attorney, Tran highlighted his support for abortion access while warning that a Trump election victory could put democracy at risk.

Tran pledged to “fight back against extremists who want to cut Social Security and Medicare, discriminate against LGBTQ+, immigrant and minority communities, and take away a woman’s right to choose.”

If elected, he would work to bring green energy jobs to California, while pushing for universal health care, universal background checks for guns, and a ban on assault weapons. Tran had publicly raised just under $5 million for his 2024 race.

The district is made up of Fountain Valley, Westminster, Garden Grove, Cypress, Buena Park, Cerritos, Artesia, La Palma, Placentia, Hawaiian Gardens, Los Alamitos, and Rossmoor, in addition to parts of Brea, Lakewood, Fullerton, and Yorba Linda.

California was home to a number of competitive races in the 2024 election, and the state was seen as a key player in determining whether Republicans maintain control of the U.S. House. The state has 52 House seats altogether.

Voters cast ballots on the U.S. Senate contest, 10 statewide propositions, the presidency, and the state Legislature.