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Steele giving real thought to campaign for Senate
Lt. governor weighs effect on family, administration
 
By Andrew A. Green
Sun Staff

March 20, 2005

Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele said yesterday that he is seriously considering a run at the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Paul S. Sarbanes in 2006 and will make further announcements about his plans in the coming weeks.

Speaking on WBAL-AM's Stateline with Governor Ehrlich program yesterday morning, Steele spoke publicly about his possible candidacy for the first time, saying he wants to hold off on serious discussion of the race to give Sarbanes his due for his years of public service.

With Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s announcement last week that neither he nor his wife, Kendel Ehrlich, planned to run for the seat, Steele is widely viewed as presenting the GOP's best chance to break the Democrats' decades-long hold on Maryland's Senate seats.

"I am seriously thinking about it, yes, and we'll evaluate it in context of a couple of things: Will my wife give me permission? How does it help the administration? Does it help Governor Ehrlich's re-election? And does it make sense for me?" Steele said.

Several prominent Democrats have expressed interest in the race. Former U.S. Rep. and NAACP President and Chief Executive Kweisi Mfume announced last week that he would run, and U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger has formed an exploratory committee. Reps. Benjamin L. Cardin, Chris Van Hollen and Elijah E. Cummings also are considering a run.

Since being elected lieutenant governor, Steele has become one of the nation's most prominent African-American Republicans. He was given a prime-time speaking slot at the party's national convention last summer and has become increasingly in demand to campaign for Republicans out of state.

One major question surrounding a Steele candidacy is who would replace him on Ehrlich's re-election ticket in 2006. After decades out of power in Annapolis, the state GOP is generally viewed as having fewer leaders poised to contend for statewide office than Democrats have. But Steele said he believed the strength of Republican contenders was underrated and that the party had a number of potential leaders in politics, business and civic organizations.

"There are a number of people who could come in and continue the work of the administration, should that become necessary," he said.

In his radio appearance, Steele also addressed the growing controversy in Annapolis about the governor's personnel policies and previewed the defense the Ehrlich administration officials might use in investigative hearings that Democrats have promised to hold after the end of the legislative session.

Democrats have accused Ehrlich aides of rooting out qualified midlevel bureaucrats they believe are insufficiently dedicated to the administration and replacing them with inexperienced loyalists. But Steele said Democrats have not considered the possibility that the long-serving employees who were replaced were no more experienced when they were hired than the Ehrlich appointees are.

"Someone who is the chief engineer and bottle washer in an agency, OK - what were his qualifications when he was hired three elections ago, six elections ago?" Steele said. "Let's take a closer look and see when John was hired under the [Parris N.] Glendening administration ... what were his qualifications to get the job? That's what the administration is prepared to expose during the wonderful hearings the legislature would like to have."

Copyright © 2005, The Baltimore Sun