With her opponent steadily increasing his lead, Republican Rep. Michelle Steel conceded defeat Wednesday in her bid to retain the 45th Congressional District seat that includes parts of Los Angeles and Orange counties.
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"From the moment I came to the United States, I knew that giving back to the country that welcomed me with open arms would be part of my future," Steel wrote in a statement. "Because of the opportunities offered by this great country, and God's great blessings, I was able to go to college, start a family, and build my own American Dream. I embarked on a mission to assist First Generation Americans, stand up to our adversaries, and defend human rights.
"The journey to work on behalf of legal immigrants and struggling families took me somewhere I never could have imagined -- and for which I will always be grateful -- the United States Congress. Everything is God's will and, like all journeys, this one is ending for a new one to begin.
"I owe a debt of gratitude to my supporters, my staff, my family, my daughters and especially my husband, Shawn, for standing by me through endless campaigns," Steel said. "To my volunteers, we would never have made it this far without your tireless efforts. And, to the voters, thank you. I will never stop fighting for you."
The latest returns from the Nov. 5 election showed Democratic challenger Derek Tran with a 613-vote lead in the race. Tran declared victory earlier this week despite the relativesly slim advantage and an unknown number of ballots left to be tallied.
Tran leads 157,960-157,347, 50.1% to 49.9%, according to the Secretary of State's office.
Tran led by 581 votes entering Tuesday's resumption of counting previously processed ballots.
The consumer rights attorney and co-owner of a pharmacy with his wife Michelle trails in the Orange County portion of the district, 142,513-138,904, 50.64%-49.36%, but leads in the Los Angeles County portion -- Artesia, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens and a portion of Lakewood -- 19,056-14,834, 56.2%- 43.8%.
Tran issued a statement Wednesday afternoon calling it a "great honor to be elected" to the seat.
"Just a short while ago, Congresswoman Michelle Steel called me to concede, and I expressed my appreciation to her for her service," Tran said. "I plan to work closely with her office over the next month to ensure a smooth transition and handover of constituent casework, so my team hits the ground running in early January.
"I look forward to once again taking the oath to support and defend our Constitution and beginning this next chapter of public service so we can put the people first."
Tran has been slowly expanding his lead as vote-counting continued from the Nov. 5 election. On Nov. 6, Tran was trailing by 11,363 votes, but he slowly cut into the lead as daily tallies were released, and he took his first lead over the two-term incumbent on Nov. 16.
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