The race for Costa Mesa City Council

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA--City Council candidate Chris Steel is running with the

memory of his ancestors behind him.

“I am strongly interested in politics, both local and national, and I

believe very strongly in public service,” he said. “I guess it’s in my

blood because of who my ancestors were.

“Because they made a difference, I feel an obligation to do my part. I

am proud of my heritage. I didn’t do it and I don’t deserve it, but I

feel an obligation because of it.”

Among his ancestors are John Steel and Chris Magee, his

great-grandfathers, who Steel said were original founders and delegates

of the U.S. Republican Party in 1856.

“I’ve always been a Republican,” he said. “In my family, I’d better

be. But I’m conservative before I’m a Republican. I’m conservative across

the board.”

Steel said while growing up he heard and read a lot about his many

politically active ancestors, including Tom Steel, who, according to a

book Steel read when he was a child, was respected because “his word was

his bond.”

A desire to let neither his ancestors nor his supporters down, along

with his inherent persistence, has kept Steel running for a City Council

seat for nearly 10 elections.

“I’m not a quitter,” he said. “I am very opinionated about things that

are going on here, I think things need to change and there’s nobody on

the council to address these issues, from my point of view.

“I’d rather be doing something else, such as traveling or finding our

more about my ancestors and relatives, but I feel it’s time for me to

give back what I can in my own small way.”

Steel has never married but said he came close to marrying twice. Each

time, however, his fiance died before they could marry.

“That was a real blow,” he said. “It has certainly affected me. I have

good memories, though, and you’ve got to move on. I would like to get

married and have children one day.”

Steel said he has admired Tom Steel, who never married, since he was a

child and has adopted the same trait of being “a man of my word.”

“You might not agree with me, but you know where I stand,” Steel said.

“I’m consistent. I could be popular and avoid these issues, as well as a

lot of headaches, but I can’t walk away. I have convictions and I need to

be able to sleep at night, so I need to do what I can. It’s what I have

to do.”