Coalition to air Steele support

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A coalition of Maryland pastors and religious groups will start airing radio and TV ads this week to galvanize support among black religious voters for Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele's U.S. Senate campaign.

"We see the African-American values vote as the key demographic to any winning campaign," said Bishop Harry Jackson, a Democrat and pastor of Hope Christian Church in Lanham.

Bishop Jackson said he organized a meeting in Baltimore last week between Mr. Steele, a black Republican, and about 30 black pastors, including some from large churches.

Mr. Steele, a devout Catholic who studied to become a priest in his early 20s, is running against Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, a 10-term congressman from Baltimore.

Mr. Cardin, a Democrat, is one of four white men at the top of the Democratic ticket in Maryland.

Black political, religious and business leaders have said that lack of diversity in the party -- despite blacks making up about 40 percent of Democratic primary voters -- has led to resentment. There also is lingering resentment that party leaders did not pick a black person to be lieutenant governor in the 2002 elections, as the Republicans did in selecting Mr. Steele.

As a result, Mr. Jackson's advocacy group, the High Impact Leadership Coalition, had joined with the Maryland Catholic Conference, Maryland Right to Life and the Association of Maryland Families to spend about $70,000 for the ads -- mostly on the radio in Baltimore and Prince George's County until the Nov. 7 general election.

Bishop Jackson said black religious voters are interested in issues beyond abortion and same-sex "marriage," including immigration and national security.

"Abortion and protection of marriage cannot be seen as the only issues that voters care about," he said. "We are working to educate individuals on the different candidates' stances on other key issues, like a strong immigration policy and winning the war on terror."

Steele spokeswoman Melissa Sellers said Mr. Steele, 47, is "proud to have the support of many in the faith community."