Michael Steele

Michael Stephen Steele (born October 19, 1958) is an American politician, attorney, and political commentator. He served as the seventh lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007 and as chairperson of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from 2009 until 2011, making him the first African-American to hold either office. Prior to his political career, Steele worked as a partner at the international law firm of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae and co-founded the Republican Leadership Council, a 'fiscally conservative and socially inclusive' political action committee. He also made frequent appearances as a political pundit on Fox News and other media outlets. Steele chaired the Minority Business Enterprise task force as lieutenant governor, advocating for an expansion of affirmative action in the corporate world. He ran unsuccessfully in the 2006 U.S. Senate election in Maryland.