California Republicans flipped a Democratic-held House seat Tuesday when Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel defeated first-term Rep. Harley Rouda.
Steel had a 7,346-vote lead — nearly 2% of the vote — when she declared victory. She will be one of the first two Korean American women to serve in Congress. Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, a Democrat, won her race in Washington state last week.
It is the latest sign of trouble for House Democrats, who have watched their majority shrink after some projections had them picking up more than 10 seats. Democratic-dominated California, where party candidates flipped seven GOP seats in 2018, has been no exception to the trend.
In addition to Rouda, two other Democrats who won GOP-held seats in 2018’s blue wave, Reps. Gil Cisneros of Orange County and TJ Cox of Fresno, were trailing their Republican challengers Tuesday. Another Democrat in a closely watched race, Assemblymember Christy Smith of Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County), was in a virtual tie with GOP Rep. Mike Garcia.
Steel, who was born in Seoul and speaks fluent Korean and Japanese, said Tuesday that “this vote showed that minorities who may look or speak differently than most not only have a place in this Republican Party but can be elected to the United States Congress.
This victory has been hard-fought and hard-won, and I could not be more humbled to have your support nor more honored to serve our community in Congress. Now, let's get to work. #CA48 pic.twitter.com/5aVvsvABiw
— Michelle Steel (@MichelleSteelCA) November 10, 2020
“Taxpayers need an advocate, someone who works on their behalf, and my promise to Orange County families, my number one priority, is to fight for lower taxes, help our small businesses and their workers, and defeat the coronavirus,” said Steel, who also served on the state Board of Equalization. “Our government is once again divided, but I stand ready to work with both parties to do what’s best for the American people, including getting our economy moving again.”
Rouda, who defeated 15-term GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in 2018, conceded Tuesday, saying that “while it isn’t the outcome we had hoped for, it’s never been more important for our leaders to hear the voice of the people, and to accept their judgment. I do.”
But Rouda also said that “there’s something bigger at stake here than this one election. There is a toxicity to American politics threatening the very democracy that sets us apart from the rest of the world. That has to change.”
Rouda knew he was facing a tough re-election fight in a district where Republicans maintain a five-point advantage in voter registration. Plus, as Rouda acknowledged in an interview with The Chronicle last year, he didn’t have the advantage of running against Rohrabacher.
Rohrabacher, referred to by detractors as “Putin’s favorite congressman,” told The Chronicle in 2017 that U.S. intelligence agencies’ conclusion that Russia had interfered in the previous year’s election was “total bulls—.” He also maintained that climate change was a hoax and that white supremacists who rampaged in Charlottesville, Va., had been secretly organized by a supporter of Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
But, Rouda noted to The Chronicle last year, “we don’t have such a villain — in many voters’ eyes — to run against” in 2020.
“His outlandish positions were certainly something that allowed us to separate ourselves,” Rouda said.
Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicle’s senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
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