Who Will Replace Steel On OC Board Of Supervisors

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — A special election for Chairwoman Michelle Steel's Orange County Board of Supervisors Second District seat will likely occur in the first quarter of 2021. The bid for her seat may end up a battle between parties, an Orange County polling firm believes.

Steel won her contest in the battle for the 48th Congressional District, narrowly beating freshman incumbent Harley Rouda. Orange County charter dictates that once her seat becomes officially vacant, January 2021, a special election will come into play within 70 days.

The Second District consists of Orange County cities of portions of Buena Park and Fountain Valley and Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Seal Beach Stanton, Rossmoor.

The Register sites potential candidates as former State Senator John Moorlach, Republican, and Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley, Democrat.

While the Republicans in Orange County hope to earn another seat, making the board of directors 4-1 in majority, according to a report in the Orange County Register, the Democrats are hoping to add a second member to the board.

In 2019, Supervisor Doug Chaffee joined the board of supervisors as a moderate Democrat for the 4th District Seat replacing Shawn Nelson who left his seat for a place with Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, as reported in the Voice of OC.

At his swearing in ceremony, Chaffee told all present: "You're all human beings, and I want to treat you with kindness and respect, both here and outside of this forum here."

This article originally appeared on the Newport Beach-Corona Del Mar Patch