Washington: History has been created in the US again as the opposition Republican Party, which was thrown out of power by Barack Obama in November elections, elected African-American Michael Steele as its head.
Steele, former Maryland Lt Governor, is the first black chairman of the Republican National Committee and is said to be the party's answer to Obama of the Democratic Party, which not only occupies the White House but is in majority in both chambers of the US Congress.
This was immediately characterised as historic by the US media. This is for the first time in the US history that leaders of both the Republican and Democratic parties are black. Steele, 50, was elected by party delegates yesterday by defeating Katon Dawson of South Carolina by 91 to 77 votes.
"The winds of change are blowing at the RNC," Duncan said accepting his defeat.
"This is awesome," Steele said.
"It is with a great deal of humility and a sense of service that I accept and appreciate and thank all of you for the opportunity to serve as the next national chairman of our very proud, our very strong and our very, very hardworking Republican National Committee," he said in his victory speech.
By electing Steele, a forceful communicator, as the RNC Chairman, Republican leaders intend to regain the ground it lost in the recently held presidential elections. The Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007, Steele was the first African-American to serve in a Maryland state-wide office.
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