Michael Steele, a former Maryland lieutenant governor and former Republican National Committee chairman, will not make a bid for Maryland governor after flirting with the idea for months.

       Steele said Monday that he decided against a bid after having a heart-to-heart conversation with his family over the past several weeks.

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       “I knew that it would have an impact, not just on me, but the family … and it was not something that my family was willing to commit to,” Steele said, adding that he knew he couldn’t “do a good job” without his wife’s support. “As much as the desire was there and my sense of seizing the opportunity that was in front of me, there are other considerations that you also have to take into account. And that was a big one.”

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       Steele formed an exploratory committee over the summer and said he had planned to make a decision around Thanksgiving about whether to launch a bid to become the fourth Republican candidate in the race. Nine Democrats are also seeking the seat.

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       A Steele candidacy would have probably created problems for both Republicans and Democrats vying to replace Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who is term-limited. But it also would have been challenging for Steele, a staunch and vocal critic of former president Donald Trump, in a Republican primary.

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       Steele has more name recognition than many vying for the office, but especially among those seeking the Republican nomination: Kelly M. Schulz, a Hogan mentee who stepped down this week as Hogan’s commerce secretary, Del. Daniel L. Cox (R-Frederick), a Trump-endorsed state lawmaker, and Robin Ficker, a former state lawmaker and perennial candidate.

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       Steele, the state’s first Black lieutenant governor, remains popular in Maryland, where he once led the state Republican Party. He led the RNC from 2009 to 2011.

       Steele said he recognized all the political challenges he faced as a Trump critic vying for a Republican nomination and as a possible GOP nominee running in a state where Democrats hold a 2-to-1 margin, but he said none of those played a role in his decision.

       Before the formation of the exploratory committee, rumors floated in political circles that Steele, who is a regular commentator on MSNBC, was considering a run as an independent.

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       Jim Dornan, a veteran Republican strategist who was working with Steele on the exploratory committee, said in July that there were some early discussions about a run as an independent but that Steele “still has an 'R' next to his name.”

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       Steele said he has not thought about who he might endorse in the race and has not crossed off any Democratic candidates.

       Steele, who was the running mate of Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. when he was elected governor in 2002, would have been the only one in the GOP field who has won a statewide race. But he has never been successful as a GOP candidate on his own. He lost the race in 1998 for state comptroller and in 2006 for the U.S. Senate.

       Steele’s decision was first reported by Maryland Matters.