Michelle Steel Wins Reelection, Bringing GOP Within 1 Seat Of Majority

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Republican Rep. Michelle Steel won her bid for reelection Monday, bringing the GOP within one seat of control of the House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press.

With the latest update in vote counting Monday, Steel managed to increase her lead over challenger Democrat Jay Chen by more than 13,000 votes in California’s new 45th district. It was a wide enough margin for the Associated Press to call the race although more ballots remain to be counted.

“I am humbled that voters have given me the opportunity to continue to fight for them in Washington, DC,” Steel said in a statement.

The new 45th district serves a stretch of inland Southern California from Cerritos down south through Lake Forest and Mission Viejo.

Nearly a week after the midterm elections, Republicans were closing in on the majority, giving conservatives leverage to blunt Biden’s agenda and spur a flurry of investigations. But a slim numerical advantage will pose immediate challenges for GOP leaders and complicate the party’s ability to govern.

Barely achieving 218, though, means Republicans will likely have the narrowest majority of the 21st century. It could rival 2001, when Republicans had just a nine-seat majority, 221-212 with two independents. That’s far short of the sweeping victory Republicans predicted going into this year’s midterm elections when the party hoped to reset the agenda on Capitol Hill by capitalizing on economic challenges and Biden’s lagging popularity.

Along with Steel's victory Monday, the Associated Press called the 41st District for GOP Rep. Ken Calvert in Riverside County. The party appears just shy of victory in the 22nd District in the Central Valley and the 27th District in the Northern tip of Los Angeles County. A win in either would give the party majority control in the House. However, those races remained too close to call Monday night.

In thanking her supporters, Steel nodded to some of the themes of her campaign including the controversial allegations lobbed at Chen, a Navy reserve officer the Steel campaign sought to link with Communist China.

“I have been firm in my commitment to deliver for working class families, and will continue to work to lower taxes, stop inflation, and stand up to Communist China," she said in a statement, according to the Orange County Register. "Thank you to my family, friends, staff, and volunteers who have worked diligently the past year to deliver our message to voters and secure this win.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.