[4] Steel ran for re-election to a third term in 2024, but she was defeated in the general election by Democratic challenger Derek Tran.

[6][7][2] Steel, fellow California Republican Young Kim and Democrat Marilyn Strickland of Washington are the first Korean-American women to serve in Congress.

[9] In 2014, Steel was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors representing the 2nd district, defeating state Assemblyman Allan Mansoor.

[13][14] She voted against requiring face coverings for retail employees[15] and opposed mask mandates in public schools.

[16] On September 15, 2020, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved plans that could lead to increased private jet traffic at John Wayne Airport.

Steel was criticized by her Democratic opponent, Harley Rouda, for taking campaign contributions from ACI Jet, the corporation that was awarded the contract.

[17][18] Steel and her husband Shawn supported the 2020–21 recall initiative against California Governor Gavin Newsom[19] and endorsed Larry Elder to replace him.

With funds from the federal government Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, each Supervisor contracted to provide meals for needy senior citizens in their district.

[14] Her platform included opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and the creation of a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

She was endorsed by Kevin McCarthy, Young Kim, Ken Calvert, Mimi Walters, Andrew Do, and the Republican Party of Orange County.

[42] On February 27, 2021, Steel voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief and stimulus bill.

[43][44] In March 2021, Steel introduced a bill that would block federal funding from being used to support California's high-speed rail project, which she called a "failure.

[52] After a 2024 Alabama court ruling made clear that the bill's language could endanger the ability to administer in-vitro fertilization, Steel said "I do not support federal restrictions on IVF."