Michael Stephen Steele is an American conservative political commentator and former Republican Party politician. Steele served as the seventh Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007; he was the first African-American elected to statewide office in Maryland. As Lieutenant Governor, Steele chaired the Minority Business Enterprise task force, actively promoting an expansion of affirmative action in the corporate world. Steele also served as Chairperson of the Republican National Committee (RNC) from January 2009 until January 2011; he was the first African-American to serve in that capacity.
