Maryland Politics -- It Looks Like Steele's In

The WaPo reports:

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.

This is great news. Steele's candidacy will make the whole thing interesting. Next year's contest is shaping up to be a great one.

Read about it here.