Steel is up against Democrat Derek Tran, a trial lawyer and veteran who's never held elected office.
Steel is Korean American and Tran is Vietnamese American, and they're running to represent a district - mostly in Orange County - where nearly 40% of constituents are Asian American.
"They're really coming at me, so it became much more intensive than any other campaign that I ran," Steel said. "This is the most exciting campaign, this is the hardest campaign."
"You vote against bipartisan infrastructure. You vote against inflation reduction capping insulin cost, and you vote against chips and technology where we have a company right here in Fountain Valley that benefited from that," Tran said. "You're not doing their job, and that's why this election is so close.
"You can't believe the congresswoman when she flips and flops. The minute the primary is over, she took her name off a bill that she signed onto twice - life at conception. That's the elimination of abortion rights, a national ban without any exceptions."
But Steel says she's always had the same position on abortion, pro-life with three exceptions. Steel calls herself an advocate for IVF which allowed her to have kids.
"The abortion ban - I am totally against it," Steel said. "It's all states' rights.
"Inflation... When you go to markets, it's about what? Sixty-seven percent they said the price went up. The most important thing is crime rate. A lot of good people have to lock themselves inside of their home. But you know what? Bad people are on the street."
Both Steel and Tran support Proposition 36, which would increase criminal penalties for certain drug and theft crimes.
"We gotta get rid of this revolving door where misdemeanors, those that commit crimes can just go in and get out, back out and start committing those crimes again," Tran said.
Steel has outraised Tran by almost $2 million, according to the Federal Election Commission, but millions are being poured into this race by both parties because it could play a role in deciding who controls the House of Representatives.
"The house majority will run through California," said California Congressman Pete Aguilar, the third highest ranking Democrat in the House.
"We're doing everything we can to make sure that our candidates - amazing candidates - have the resources they need to go up against the Republican machine," Aguilar said.