Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael S. Steele, who served as Maryland’s first Black lieutenant governor, has formed an exploratory committee for a possible Maryland gubernatorial bid in 2022.
Support our journalism. Subscribe today. arrow-right
Steele has said for months that he has been assessing the race and plans to make a decision this fall on whether to enter the crowded field.
There are currently three Republicans and nine Democrats vying to replace outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who is term-limited.
Steele, who has long been active in Republican politics, is well known in Maryland, where he once led the state Republican Party, and on a national level, leading the RNC from 2009 to 2011.
Story continues below advertisement
A bid by Steele would probably shake up the race.
The formation of the exploratory committee was first reported by Maryland Matters.
Jim Dornan, a veteran national Republican strategist and Maryland native, who is leading the exploratory effort, said Steele has been fielding calls from major donors in Maryland and across the country as well as grass-roots activists who believe he would be the strongest candidate to take on the Democratic nominee.
Advertisement
“These folks believe Michael would be the best candidate and best suited to carry on the Hogan legacy,” Dornan said.
Currently vying for the Republican nomination are Kelly M. Schulz, who is Hogan’s commerce secretary, Del. Daniel L. Cox (R-Frederick), a strong defender of former president Donald Trump, and Robin Ficker, former state lawmaker and perennial candidate.
Thousands of bullets have been fired in this D.C. neighborhood. Fear is part of everyday life.
Steele, who was the running mate for former governor Robert Ehrlich, would be the only one in the GOP field of candidates 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.
Story continues below advertisement
A Republican bid could prove challenging for Steele, a staunch critic of former president Donald Trump who said he voted for Joe Biden for president.
Advertisement
Dornan said Steele recognizes that there are Trump supporters in Maryland and that he plans to contact them, but “we do not believe the former president’s influence in the state is as strong as it is in a Southern state.”
Steele, who is now a regular commentator on MSNBC, previously declined to comment on rumors that he might run as an independent in Maryland. Dornan said Thursday that there might have been some early discussions about the possibility but “that is not our intention at this time.”
Dornan said Steele “still has an ‘R’ next to his name. He is still a strong conservative. His views haven’t changed.”
Story continues below advertisement
Dornan noted that because Maryland does not have a process for an exploratory committee, Steele has formed a “527 committee,” which is an IRS designation that allows candidates to set up an entity for political activity without formally entering a race.
Advertisement
“This is a vehicle that allows us to do in a formal manner what Michael has been thinking about for months,” said Dornan, noting that under the umbrella of the 527 committee Steele will be able to raise money, do polling and attend events.
On the Democratic side, the candidates are former Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez, author and former nonprofit executive Wes Moore, Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, former U.S. education secretary John B. King Jr., former state attorney general Douglas F. Gansler, former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, former Montgomery County Council candidate Ashwani Jain, Baltimore-based business owner and economist Mike Rosenbaum and former federal government employee and nonprofit executive Jon Baron.
Maryland gubernatorial primary could be the most expensive in state’s history