Michael S. Steele was elected Chairman of the Republican National Committee on January 30, 2009.
A self-described “Lincoln Republican,” Chairman Steele earned a place in history in 2003 when he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, becoming the first African-American elected to statewide office in the state.
An expert on political strategy and election reform, he most recently served as Chairman of GOPAC, and also held posts on the National Federal Election Reform Commission and the NAACP Blue Ribbon Commission on Election Reform.
Chairman Steele’s experiences as a successful elected conservative African-American Republican and his engaging speaking style have launched him into national prominence. His first major exposure was during an appearance at the 2004 Republican National Convention. Since then, President George W. Bush selected Steele to be part of the U.S. delegation to the investiture of Pope Benedict XVI, and a member of the Presidential Delegation to the Leon H. Sullivan Summit VIII in Tanzania.
Chairman Steele’s ability as a communicator and political analyst have been showcased by his position as a contributor on the Fox News Channel and as a regular host for the Salem Radio Network’s nationally syndicated Morning in America Show. Additionally, Chairman Steele is an entertaining and eloquent guest on cable political talk shows such as HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher and Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report.
A corporate finance attorney, Chairman Steele founded his own company, The Steele Group, a business and legal consulting firm. His writings on law, business and politics have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, Politico.com, Townhall.com, and The Journal of International Security Affairs, among others.
Born in 1958 at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Chairman Steele was raised in Washington, DC. He spent three years as a seminarian in the Order of St. Augustine in preparation for the priesthood, but, ultimately, chose a career in law instead. He earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991.
Chairman Steele serves on the Administrative Board of the Maryland Catholic Conference and is a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Landover Hills, MD, where he attends mass regularly with his wife Andrea and their two sons.
5 Comments
November 20, 2010
I think that Steele is a great guy and he became RNC chairman at a time when the obituaries were being written for the GOP. That said, I would prefer to see a Congressman Steele, Senator Steele or Secretary Steele.
November 22, 2010
I agree, he seems like a great guy and I'd like to see him in another position, but he needs to leave. It seems, failure is laid at his feet and that can't be tolerated another time around.
November 24, 2010
Steele's biggest problem has been he's said some really stupid things. Like Afghanistan is Obama's war for instance. Also calling out Rush Limbaugh didn't seem to bright either. However given the results you'd have to say he's done a good job. If he would just shut up and run the RNC he'll be fine.
December 16, 2010
I want to vote for Michael Steele. He has been a great chairman.
December 25, 2010
Michael Steele is an embarrassment to Republicans. Our Party claims Principles which are consistent with America, its history, and its success, yet with Steele as the man out front, those Principles and the work of some very serious Republican legislators do not get proclaimed or promoted. Steele is always conscious of himself and the image he thinks he has, which prevents him from seeing clearly, from hearing intelligent comments, and from objectively analyzing what Republican voters expect from the Party and their frustration while the Party's leader seems clueless. This is not condemnation of the man; God is his judge. But as the Party leader, Mr. Steele, please go home. The problem is that the same mentality that elected him is represented in many of those who will vote for our new Chairman. In each state, we need to contact our State Party Chair and the National Committeeman and -woman, and express to them the high expectations that we have and that can be achieved, if our new Chair understands what his or her role REALLY is.
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