Steel, Michelle, 1955-

Michelle Eunjoo Steel (née Park; born June 21, 1955) is a South Korean-born American politician. A member of the Republican Party, she has served as the U.S. Representative for California's 48th congressional district since 2021.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, she was educated in South Korea, Japan, and the United States. Steel earned a B.A. from Pepperdine University and M.B,A. from the University of Southern California. Along with her mother and sisters, she opened a clothing store in downtown Los Angeles. After seeing how difficult it was for her non-English speaking mother to navigate the tax laws and state regulations, she ran for the State Board of Equalization - the nation’s only elected tax board – where she represented more than nine million residents. At the time, she was the highest-ranking Korean American elected official in the United States. In 2014, Steel ran successfully to become a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors representing the 2nd district, defeating state Assemblyman Allan Mansoor. She served as the Chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2017 and again in 2020.

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