<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Revision:%20Affiliates/Michael Steele%20-%2020260302211100" style="border:1px solid #555; padding:4px 12px; border-radius:4px; color:#a89ee8; text-decoration:none; font-size:0.9em; background-color:#2a2a2a;">📩 Submit a Revision/Addition</a> **Michael S. Steele** is an American attorney, political commentator, and former Republican official. He made history as the first African American to serve as chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC). ## Early Life and Education - **Born**: October 19, 1958, at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland - **Education**: - B.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University (1981) - Studied for the priesthood before shifting to law - J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center (1991) ## Political Career ### Lieutenant Governor of Maryland (2003–2007) - First African American elected to statewide office in Maryland - Worked on public education reform, minority business initiatives, and economic development ### 2006 U.S. Senate Run - Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Maryland - Lost to Democrat Ben Cardin ### Chair of the Republican National Committee (2009–2011) - First Black chair of the RNC - Oversaw a major Republican comeback in the 2010 midterms: - GOP gained 63 House seats — the largest gain since 1938 - RNC raised over $198 million during his tenure ## Media and Academic Work - Political analyst for MSNBC - Host of *The Michael Steele Podcast* - Senior Fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute ## Recent Activity - Publicly endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 election - Critic of Donald Trump and efforts to undermine U.S. election integrity - Active in efforts promoting bipartisanship and democratic norms [More on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Steele)