After a successful election day, Republicans across the country hope their recent wins will propel them during next year’s midterm elections. The former Republican National Committee Chairman, however, says everyone should be cautious as to what 2022 may bring.
"The reality of it is, the landscape in less than a year, is going to be very different from what we saw going into 2021 for Glenn Youngkin,” Michael Steele told WPTV’s Michael Williams. “There are some lessons, though, that can be taken out of that in terms of having a conversation directly with voters about the issues important to them.
Steele said candidates in county and state races should focus on issues directly related to their community and less of a focus on national issues like former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.
"I'm cautioning people to be a little bit smarter about the exuberance, Steele said.” Don't start measuring the drapes for what may come down the road."
As for the former president, Steele wouldn’t say if he thinks Trump will run again in 2024.
"My inclination though is that the former president will play “Hamlet”, to be or not to be president again. There is great drama and great effect to asking that question over and over again in every venue possible because it generates cash and donations. It also generates intense support among those who support him but at the end of the day the question is is he willing to do the work," Steele said.
As for claims of a rigged election, Steele says the country can’t move forward from the 2020 election cycle until all voters accept the given results.
“Until this election cycle, as a country we were mature enough to recognize winners and losers and to move forward,” Steele said. “Now we seemingly want to sit in one spot standing still believing something they know is not true."
Steele, who voted for President Biden in 2020, said he did so because he believed the president represented the values of the country better as a leader.
“I told Joe Biden, look I disagree with you on 90% of the stuff you articulate and I'm ready to have that fight with you as we used to over the big and small ideas that matter,” Steele said. “When it comes to honoring the constitution, honoring the rule of law and honoring the institutions that we as citizens have created to protect those values the choice for me wasn't hard at all and it shouldn't have been hard for a lot of Americans but that is why this is the free enterprise system that it is."
Steele addressed his own political ambitions. He told Williams he should have a decision soon on if he will enter the race for governor of Maryland.
"I've been looking at that race in Maryland. Governor (Larry) Hogan, who has been a phenomenal governor, is stepping down due to term limits and I'll take a look at it and hopefully have an announcement by Thanksgiving," Steele said.
Steele was the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007.