A narrow majority in the U.S. House has already put Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in a bind to pass conservative legislation, a Herculean task that became much tougher following the loss of a reliable incumbent.
The AP has declared that Congressman Michelle Steel (R-CA) was unseated by Democratic challenger Derek Tran, an Army veteran who outperformed the top of her ticket and won over swing voters in the traditionally conservative district, Fox News reports. California’s 45th congressional district covers Orange County, including Fountain Valley, Westminster and Garden Grove, about 30 minutes to the south of Los Angeles. Census records show that Asian-Americans make up nearly 40% of the district, followed by Hispanic residents at 32% and whites at 24%.
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Steel was first elected to Congress in 2020 in the neighboring 48th district, flipping the district red after defeating one-term Democratic incumbent Harley Rhouda. California lost a congressional seat following the census, a process that saw Steel’s district shift underneath her to become to the more centrist 45th district it is today. Despite making inroads in the suburban Orange County, President-elect Donald Trump lost the district to Vice President Kamala