Michael Steele

When he was elected Lt. Governor of Maryland in 2003, Michael Steele made history as the first African American elected to statewide office; and again with his subsequent chairmanship of the Republican National Committee in 2009. As chairman of the RNC, Michael Steele was charged with revitalizing the Republican Party. A self-described "Lincoln Republican," under Steele’s leadership the RNC broke fundraising records (over $192 million raised during the 2010 cycle) and Republicans won 63 House seats, the biggest pickup since 1938 and the greatest share of state legislative seats since 1928.

As Lt. Governor of Maryland, Mr. Steele’s priorities included reforming the state's Minority Business Enterprise program, improving the quality of Maryland's public education system, expanding economic development in the state and fostering cooperation between government and faith-based organizations to help those in need.

Mr. Steele’s ability as a communicator and political analyst have been showcased through his roles as a contributor on the Fox News Channel and regular host of the Salem Radio Network's nationally syndicated Morning in America show. In April 2011, Mr. Steele joined MSNBC as a political analyst. He has appeared on Meet the Press, Face the Nation, HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, the Rachel Maddow Show, and Comedy Central's The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. He is the recent author of Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda, which is a call to arms for grassroots America.