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.”
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