NEW ORLEANS - The joke being swapped here at the National Lieutenant Governors Association conference is that the group's members do nothing but drive around all day with a Bible, waiting for the governor to die or resign so they can finally get some attention.
But two of the nation's newly elected lieutenant governors - Maryland's Michael S. Steele and Ohio's Jennette Bradley - are poised to smash that stereotype. The pair share two key characteristics: They will be the nation's only black lieutenant governors, and they're Republicans.
Over the next two years, the White House and the GOP hierarchy are expected to shower them with attention. With Oklahoma Rep. J.C. Watts retiring from Congress, Steele and Bradley become the nation's highest-ranking elected black Republicans.
Though questions remain about whether Republicans are making substantive policy changes as they seek to broaden their appeal among minorities, Steele and Bradley are preparing to be thrust on the national political stage.
"The one question always asked of the Republican leadership is, are you expanding your base and, if so, where is your evidence," said Alvin Williams, president of Black America's Political Action Committee, which supports conservative black candidates. "So now they can point to Michael Steele and Jennette Bradley."
It's a strategy the Republican National Committee is also eager to discuss.
"I think Michael Steele might be one of the most articulate and inspiring spokesmen that we have in our party, and the fact he is African-American makes him all the more desirable to go out and talk about our message of inclusion," said RNC spokesman Dan Ronayne.
Steele, 44, said he relishes the role. During an interview amid a conference with 26 other current and newly elected lieutenant governors, Steele said he expects to be more active in national GOP politics than any lieutenant governor from any state in recent memory.
"I hope to redefine the role of lieutenant governor," said Steele, who is the departing chairman of the Maryland Republican Party. "I've got four years to help my president, help my party nationally, help my party in the state, as well as move Maryland forward."
Steele will soon begin a nationwide search for black Republicans interested in seeking elective office or becoming delegates to the 2004 convention. Steele also expects to campaign heavily for President Bush and other GOP candidates, provided it does not interfere with his work in Annapolis.
