WASHINGTON (CNN) — Members of the Republican National Committee elected their first-ever African-American party chief on Friday, choosing former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele to chair the organization after six rounds of tumultuous balloting.
After five rounds of voting, the race for the chairmanship came down to a choice between Steele and Katon Dawson, the South Carolina GOP chairman who secured strong support from party insiders after former chairman Mike Duncan dropped out of the race earlier in the day.
Steele emerged as the winner on the sixth ballot, winning with 91 votes. A candidate needed a simple majority of 85 votes from the 168-member committee to secure victory.
For the duration of his campaign, Steele fought perceptions that he was too moderate to lead the party because of his blue state roots and his former membership in the Republican Leadership Council, a group that sought to curb the influence of social conservatives in the party.
“I’m proud to say I’m a conservative, have been, always will be,” Steele told CNN earlier this month. “So this notion that I’m a moderate is slightly overblown, and quite frankly a lie.”
Steele brings a national profile to the committee, having shot to fame in the political world during an underdog Senate bid in 2006 distinguished by a series of clever TV commercials. He has since become a fixture on cable talk shows, experience that boosted up his reputation as the best communicator among the field of RNC candidates.
Congratulations, Mr. Steele. The Democrats are going to provide you a target-rich environment for the next two years. Let’s see if you’ve got the aim, fire, and steel to take advantage.
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Interesting; I had the impression that Steele was a religious social conservative. I would certainly like to see the GOP move away from the religiously-motivated social issues — the hostility to gays, abortion, stem-cell research and the like — and towards a more principled defense of individual rights across the board.
I remember being impressed by the speech Steele gave to the GOP convention in 2004, and was sorry that he didn’t win his Senate race in 2006. I hope he has a spine, balls and a mouth, because he’s going to need all three of them.
What’s the over-under on how long before the left accuses the GOP of racist motives in picking him?
Shoulda taken “immediately,” Kyle.
Steele is a rino (not a RINO). During the time he was Lt. Governor, the Repubs, did cut state taxes, get rid of the state deficit, and not have any major scandals.
Unfortunately, Steele chose to run for the Senate instead of governor, so we got Michael O’Malley, who has raised taxes, got us in a deficit and is screwing up the slots.
Steele, lost, barely - and the democrats ran a campaign based entirely on the fact that he was black. He lost, barely because of Baltimore and Annapolis. It was that close.
He is not the greatest choice, and there will be no end to the Uncle Tom comments, but at least he is no McCain - yet.