Michelle Steel

Michelle Steel

Republican

Michelle Steel is a Republican former U.S. representative from Orange County, California, who served in the U.S. House from 2021 to 2025 after earlier service on the Orange County Board of Supervisors and the California State Board of Equalization. In August 2025, the Orange County Register reported that she would not run for Congress in 2026, so her 2026 candidacy status should be treated as not active unless later filings or announcements show otherwise.

Positions on Key Issues

Healthcare

medium

Supports market-based health care approaches and has opposed single-payer proposals. Her public campaign materials and issue coverage emphasize lowering costs and expanding access without expanding a government-run system.

Economy

high

Advocates lower taxes, restrained federal spending, and pro-growth policies aimed at reducing inflation and supporting domestic manufacturing. Her record and public statements also show opposition to some major federal spending and industrial-policy measures.

Abortion & Reproductive Health

high

Has taken an anti-abortion position and previously co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act, though she later rescinded that cosponsorship while saying she did not support federal restrictions on IVF. Her public record still places her on the anti-abortion side of the issue.

Immigration

high

Supports stricter border security and enforcement-focused immigration policy. She has opposed granting citizenship to people who entered the country illegally and has framed immigration as a border-security issue.

Firearms & Second Amendment

low

No separate public campaign position was found in the sources reviewed. Her congressional record includes votes on major House legislation, but no clearly documented campaign statement on gun policy was identified here.

Foreign Policy

high

Supports a national-security-focused foreign policy that emphasizes countering China, backing U.S. alliances, and prioritizing border security as part of broader security policy. Her campaign materials and public comments have highlighted Taiwan and opposition to the Chinese Communist Party.

Civil Rights & Equality

low

No separate public campaign position was found in the sources reviewed. Her congressional record includes votes on major House legislation, but this profile does not identify a specific public statement on civil rights, LGBTQ+ policy, or related social-justice issues.

Education

medium

Supports higher-education transparency and efforts to limit foreign influence in colleges and universities. She backed measures such as the DETERRENT Act, which focused on reporting foreign gifts and curbing foreign propaganda in higher education.

Tech & AI

low

No public position found

No sources available

Election Policy

medium

Supports proof-of-citizenship requirements for federal voter registration and has aligned with measures that would tighten election administration rules. Her public record also includes support for voting-related restrictions in House votes.

Local Issues

low

No public position found

No sources available

Climate/Energy

high

Her voting record and outside scorecards indicate a generally anti-regulatory, pro-fossil-fuel posture on climate and energy issues, including opposition to many clean-energy and emissions-related measures. She has also been criticized by environmental groups for opposing climate and clean-energy priorities.

Background

Career History

Member of Congress 2021 – 2025
U.S. House of Representatives

Represented California's 45th Congressional District.

Orange County Supervisor 2015 – 2021
Orange County Board of Supervisors

Served on the county board before election to Congress.

California State Board of Equalization member 2007 – 2015
California State Board of Equalization

Served in statewide tax administration office.

Top Donors

Raised approximately $10.45M in the 2023–2024 cycle, with the largest industry support coming from retired donors ($1,598,881), followed by Republican/conservative interests ($725,209), leadership PACs ($536,409), securities & investment ($515,392), and real estate ($440,451). The top disclosed contributor was the American Israel Public Affairs Committee at $143,187, and large individual contributions accounted for 27.75% of funds. Source data is available on OpenSecrets and the FEC candidate page.

View full campaign finance data →

Voting Record

Steel is a former U.S. Representative who served from Jan. 3, 2023 to Jan. 3, 2025. GovTrack’s 2024 report card says she introduced 47 bills and resolutions, got bipartisan cosponsors on 28 of 47 bills, had 8 bills reach the floor, and missed 1.3% of votes (16 of 1,241) in the 118th Congress; notable bills included the Telehealth Expansion Act of 2023, Solidify Iran Sanctions Act, and DETERRENT Act.

View full voting record →

Data Analysis Information

Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated 4/7/2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.

© 2026 Smarter.vote. Analyzing public information to help voters make informed decisions.

Always verify information by visiting candidate websites directly. This tool provides analysis for informational purposes only.