Ms. Steel said she was against abortion rights, except to protect the mother’s health and cases of incest, but did not answer directly when asked twice whether she supported rape exceptions. A spokesperson, Lance Trover, later said she did support that exception. The congresswoman missed the vote to certify the 2020 election because she said she tested positive for the coronavirus; in the interview she said she didn’t know how she would have voted. Ms Steel also said she was not sure whether Mr Biden legitimately won; Mr Trover later noted that she has said she believed he did and that she maintained that position.
Scott Baugh, former chairman of the Orange County Republican Party and former Republican leader in the State Assembly, is considered the leading candidate to challenge Ms. Porter. In an interview that started in his SUV, which he said cost $140 to refuel, he called Mr. Biden “our legitimate president.” However, Mr Baugh declined to say whether he would have voted to certify the 2020 election, citing concerns about “irregularities”. Election officials have said there is no evidence that fraud or other irregularities played a role in the outcome of the presidential race.
As Mr. Baugh made his way through an affluent marina-adjacent neighborhood, he seemed much more alive when he echoed traditional Republican remarks about fiscal restraint and the economy. The candidate insisted that amid inflation and high gas prices, local independent and Republican voters who opposed Mr Trump had already returned to his party.
“They are not happy with the direction of the country,” he said.
At a campaign rally for Ms. Porter near the ocean, Heather Dodd, 54, seemed keenly aware of that dynamic.
She also said she was concerned that Democrats were not enthusiastic, and she was concerned about the effect on Tuesday’s turnout and November. Voters expressed frustration with the president over global issues, such as gas prices, that Mr Biden cannot manage on his own, she said.
“People’s expectations are not reasonable,” she said. But, she said, many of her more conservative neighbors in Sunset Beach didn’t seem to share her views.
“Everyone is complaining,” she said of gas prices. “It’s over $6.50 in our neighborhood.”