Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele

He is running for the U.S. Senate as a conservative Republican in a Democratic year, so this year’s race is not a career ender for the first African American elected to statewide office in Maryland. Steele has shown a few weaknesses on the campaign trail, with a few slips of the tongue about stem cell research and other issues, but he has steadily built a strong base of support that has scared the living daylights out of Democrats. He’s a lawyer from voter-rich Prince George’s County with a lot of Democratic friends and four years of being lieutenant governor under his belt. His familiarity with the state’s municipalities is a clear asset. No matter what happens on Nov. 7, he could be back in 2010.