Michelle Steel files campaign papers

Michelle Steel raised her right hand Monday afternoon and over Top 40 radio music vowed to uphold the laws of the United States.

She also pledged that the information in the stack of documents she had just pushed over the counter of the Orange County registrar of voters office was all true.

She was excited, she said, and a little nervous: In filing her final round of paperwork ahead of a March 7 deadline, her campaign had officially begun.

Steel is running to replace John Moorlach on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Moorlach, who will be termed out in January, represents District 2, which encompasses Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Cypress, La Palma, Los Alamitos and Stanton, as well as portions of Buena Park and Fountain Valley.

She joins a field that so far includes Huntington Beach City Councilman Joe Carchio, former Huntington Beach Mayor Don Hansen, Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa), Coast Community College District Trustee Jim Moreno and Alan Schlar. Steel is the only one to have filed her candidate statement, the last step in officially entering the race.

On Monday, Steel talked about how her experience as the current vice chairwoman of the California Board of Equalization would help her “save money for taxpayers.”

Like Moorlach, who has long stressed his financial savvy, Steel says cutting wasteful spending and streamlining budgets is all in her wheelhouse.

Or, as she put it, “I can count.”

The Surfside resident said she plans to continue meeting with local officials to learn more about district. Meanwhile, she has picked up a number of endorsements from around the county, including those of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa), Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and current supervisors Shawn Nelson, Janet Nguyen and Pat Bates.

Bates, who was also at the Registrar’s office Monday, hugged Steel.

“Congratulations,” she said.