In recent weeks, one U.S. House race that has looked increasingly like a strong prospect for a Republican net gain is in California’s 48th District (Orange County).
Two years ago, Democrat Harley Rouda eked out a close win over 30-year Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. In large part, Golden State sources generally agree this was due to Republican Rohrabacher’s controversial support of Russia and its strongman President Vladimir Putin.
Now Rouda faces Michelle Park Steel, chairman of the Board of Orange County Supervisors, and someone who has won four straight elections in most of what is now the 48th District.
Recently, Steel drew considerable attention with reports that she had raised $5.7 million — by all accounts, a record for any non-incumbent House candidate this year. In addition, the political action committee of House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, Calif., and the National Republican Congressional Committee have both weighed in with seven-figure expenditures on behalf of Steel.
“And we just finished a canvass of 100,000 households in the past seven weeks,” the candidate’s husband, California GOP National Committeeman Shawn Steel, told Newsmax. “We wore masks when we rang doorbells, kept six feet from the resident, and you know how many complaints we got? Zero!”
Steel proudly added that “folks really liked seeing Michelle herself ringing doorbells and canvassing like everyone else.”
Shawn Steel also pointed out that Rouda “promised he would not support impeachment or Nancy Pelosi for speaker and he did both. And now he votes with Pelosi 100% of the time, [Los Angeles’ far-left Democrat Rep.] Maxine Waters 97%, and [New York’s Democratic socialist Rep.] Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez 93%.”
One reason for Michelle Park Steel’s strong position could be her position as the top countywide official. In her capacity as County Board chairwoman, Steel is seen on TV weekly giving public service announcements on COVID-19.
Should Steel, 65 and a mother of two, defeat Rouda, she would be the first Korean-American woman ever to serve in Congress.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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