Lt. Gov. Steele Considers Running for Senate

Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele today launched an exploratory bid for next year's U.S. Senate race, sounding very much like a candidate already -- and one with unusually strong backing from the state and national Republican parties.

Steele, who as Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s running mate in 2002 became the first African-American elected statewide in Maryland, told reporters that he would spend the coming months talking to voters about "the opportunity to potentially fly solo" in 2006.

Steele left little doubt about his intentions during a half-hour conference call, though, at one point referring to himself as "the next senator from Maryland."

With the looming retirement of five-term Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes (D), "a new opportunity has presented itself, and I'm ready to stand up and meet that challenge and to take on that opportunity," said Steele, a Prince George's County resident.

The son of a laundry worker who once pursued the priesthood, Steele, 46, has gained national attention within the GOP in recent years but remains untested as a top-of-the-ticket candidate. His staunch opposition to abortion and the death penalty, views he attributes to his Catholic faith, are out of step with a majority of Marylanders.

Democrats, meanwhile, are gearing up for a lively primary fight, with three candidates already in the race and at least two others considering a bid.

Maryland Democratic Party Chairman Terry Lierman said today that whomever prevails would stack up well against Steele, whom he said "is in the pocket of the right wing of his party and way out of touch with the needs, values and priorities of Maryland."

Steele has been heavily courted to run in recent months by both state and national GOP leaders, who argue that he represents the party's best chance to prevail in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2-to-1.

With Maryland's primary date still 15 months away, there were ample signs today of an early coalescing around Steele's candidacy by the GOP establishment.

Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman called Steele's decision "great news for the people of Maryland."

Sen. Elizabeth Dole (N.C.), chairwoman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, meanwhile, released a statement calling Steele "a man of impeccable character and integrity" and asserting that "he would make an exceptional United States senator."

And Steele was aided today by a spokesman from the NRSC, the arm of the party that recruits Senate candidates.