Michelle Steel

Michelle Steel
Born	Michelle Eunjoo Park 21 6, 1955
Birthplace	Seoul, South Korea
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Known for	U.S. Representative for California's 48th and 45th congressional districts; one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress
Education	Pepperdine University (BA) University of Southern California (MBA)
Children	2
Website	[michellesteelca.com Official site]

Michelle Eunjoo Steel (née Park; born June 21, 1955) is an American politician who served as the U.S. Representative for California's 45th congressional district from 2023 to 2025 and previously for the state's 48th congressional district from 2021 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Steel built a career in California politics spanning nearly two decades, beginning with her election to the California State Board of Equalization in 2006 and continuing through her service on the Orange County Board of Supervisors from 2015 to 2021. Her election to Congress in 2020 made her, along with fellow California Republican Young Kim and Washington Democrat Marilyn Strickland, one of the first Korean-American women to serve in the United States Congress. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Steel immigrated to the United States and pursued higher education in Southern California before entering public life. She ran for re-election to a third term in 2024 but was defeated in the general election by Democratic challenger Derek Tran in one of the closest congressional races in the country that cycle. In August 2025, Steel announced that she would not seek to reclaim her congressional seat in 2026, stating she had "other goals."

Early Life

Michelle Eunjoo Park was born on June 21, 1955, in Seoul, South Korea. She later immigrated to the United States, where she settled in Southern California. Details regarding her early family life and the circumstances of her immigration have not been extensively documented in public records. Steel established herself in the Southern California community and pursued a career in public service after completing her education.

Education

Steel attended Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She subsequently pursued graduate studies at the University of Southern California, where she obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Career

California State Board of Equalization (2007–2015)

Steel's career in elected office began with her election to the California State Board of Equalization, representing the 3rd district. She took office on January 5, 2007, succeeding Claude Parrish, and served two terms through January 5, 2015. The Board of Equalization is responsible for tax administration and fee collection in California, and Steel's district encompassed portions of Southern California. During her tenure on the board, she was involved in tax policy decisions affecting California businesses and residents. She was succeeded on the board by Diane Harkey.

Orange County Board of Supervisors (2015–2021)

Following her service on the Board of Equalization, Steel was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors, representing the 2nd district. She took office on January 5, 2015, succeeding John Moorlach. During her time on the board, Steel served as chair on two occasions: from January 10, 2017, to January 9, 2018, and again from January 14, 2020, to January 3, 2021. In both instances, she was preceded by Lisa Bartlett and succeeded by Andrew Do in the chairmanship role.

Steel's tenure on the Board of Supervisors coincided with several significant events in Orange County governance and politics. She was a visible supporter of President Donald Trump, welcoming him at Los Angeles International Airport during a visit. In February 2019, Trump named Steel as co-chair of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, a role that raised her profile within the national Republican Party and among Asian-American communities.

COVID-19 pandemic response

Steel's final year as a supervisor was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and her handling of the crisis became a defining issue in her subsequent congressional campaign. In April 2020, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to require face coverings for many retail employees, a measure that generated significant public reaction. By May 2020, Orange County public health officials came under fire over the mask order, with significant backlash from residents who opposed mandatory face covering requirements. The state of California under Governor Gavin Newsom subsequently issued a statewide mandatory face mask order in June 2020. The mask mandate controversy in Orange County became a politically charged issue that factored into the congressional race between Steel and incumbent Harley Rouda.

A 2024 investigation by LAist reported that during the pandemic, Steel had directed a $1.2 million pandemic meals contract to her campaign mail printer while serving as supervisor. According to the report, the contract charged taxpayers approximately $24 per meal, which was roughly three times as much as other vendors had charged for similar services.

U.S. House of Representatives

2020 election (48th congressional district)

In 2020, Steel ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in California's 48th congressional district, challenging incumbent Democrat Harley Rouda, who had won the seat in 2018 in a district historically held by Republicans. Steel defeated Rouda in the November 2020 general election, part of a broader Republican resurgence in California that saw the party reclaim four House seats in the state. Her victory was covered extensively in both English-language and Korean-language media.

Steel's election, alongside that of Young Kim in California's 39th congressional district, was historically significant. Together with Marilyn Strickland of Washington state, they became the first Korean-American women to serve in the United States Congress.

117th Congress (2021–2023)

Steel was sworn into office on January 3, 2021, as the representative for California's 48th congressional district, succeeding Harley Rouda. During the 117th Congress, she served as a member of House Minority Whip Steve Scalise's Whip Team.

Following the 2020 presidential election, Steel was among California Republican members of Congress who did not publicly challenge President Trump's claims about the election results, a posture noted by the Los Angeles Times.

2022 election and redistricting (45th congressional district)

Following the 2020 census and subsequent redistricting in California, Steel's 48th district was substantially redrawn. She chose to run in the newly configured 45th congressional district, which encompassed parts of Orange County including communities with significant Asian-American populations. Steel won the 2022 election and began representing the 45th district in January 2023.

118th Congress (2023–2025)

During the 118th Congress, Steel continued to represent the 45th congressional district. In January 2023, she joined with Representative Lou Correa, a Democrat from Anaheim, to co-chair the Congressional Vietnam Caucus, a bipartisan group focused on issues affecting Vietnamese communities in the United States. This was notable given Steel's district in Orange County, which includes Little Saigon, the largest Vietnamese-American community in the United States. In June 2023, Steel commemorated the 35th anniversary of Little Saigon in Orange County.

Steel also engaged with business interests in her district. She met with representatives of Essex Property Trust, a real estate investment trust, at their operations in Huntington Beach, California.

2024 election

Steel ran for re-election to a third term in 2024, facing Democratic challenger Derek Tran in one of the most competitive congressional races in the country. The race proved to be exceptionally close. As votes were tallied in November 2024, Tran pulled ahead of Steel by a narrow margin. Tran ultimately defeated Steel by approximately 650 votes, one of the slimmest margins of victory in any 2024 congressional race nationwide.

Steel's term in Congress ended on January 3, 2025, and Derek Tran was sworn in as her successor.

Decision not to run in 2026

In August 2025, Steel announced that she would not seek to reclaim her former congressional seat in the 2026 election cycle. In an interview with Fox News, she stated that she had "other goals," without elaborating on future political plans. The Orange County Register confirmed the announcement, noting that the decision came despite her extremely narrow loss of approximately 650 votes in 2024.

Personal Life

Steel was born Michelle Eunjoo Park in Seoul, South Korea. Her Korean name is 박은주 (朴銀珠). She immigrated to the United States, where she settled in Southern California. Steel has two children. She resides in the Orange County area, where she has been active in local politics and community affairs for over two decades. Steel is known within Southern California's Korean-American community and broader Asian-American communities, and her political career has reflected the growing political influence of Asian Americans in Orange County and California more broadly.

Legacy

Michelle Steel's political career is notable for several reasons within the context of California and national politics. Her 2020 election to Congress, alongside Young Kim and Marilyn Strickland, marked a historic milestone as the three became the first Korean-American women to serve in the United States Congress. This achievement reflected the increasing political engagement and representation of Korean Americans and Asian Americans more broadly in American electoral politics.

Steel was part of a cohort of Republican candidates who reclaimed House seats in California in 2020, a development that surprised many observers given the state's overall Democratic trend in recent election cycles. Her success in Orange County, long a Republican stronghold that had shifted significantly toward Democrats in the 2018 elections, demonstrated the continued competitiveness of Republican candidates in Southern California's diverse suburban districts.

Her career also illustrated the political evolution of Orange County, California, which has transformed from a predominantly white, reliably Republican area into one of the most ethnically diverse and politically competitive regions in the state. Steel's ability to win elections in this changing landscape—drawing support from Korean-American, Vietnamese-American, and other communities—reflected the complex political dynamics of modern Southern California.

Steel's narrow 650-vote loss in 2024 to Derek Tran underscored the razor-thin margins that characterize competitive politics in Orange County's congressional districts. Her decision not to run again in 2026 marked the end of a political career that spanned nearly two decades in California elected office, from the State Board of Equalization to the halls of Congress.