According to this article by Dick Pettys, it seems that more blacks than ever are running as Republicans in the state of Georgia. Petty reports,

"A record 14 black Republican candidates are seeking legislative seats...More black Republicans are running for office in Georgia this year than ever before, and black candidates in other Southern states are also finding that declaring for the GOP is more accepted than it was just a few years ago."

This is of course a welcomed turn of events for the Republican party. In my home state, Washington, it would be a record just to have 14 Republican candidates. Period. Forget skin color. Although I doubt blacks will be running to the polls to vote "GOP" en masse, it is certainly telling that the tides are slowly shifting as more blacks realize the Democratic party once familiar to the civil rights movement has gone off the moral deep end. Black people have commonly voted Democrat, but have been historically conservative on key issues. GOP pollster Whit Ayres notes however,

"But if you can move the percentage of blacks who vote Republican from 5 percent to 15 percent, you will change the outcome of a lot of close Southern elections."

The author of the article cites hope for improving economics of black households as one of the main reasons Southern black s are abandoning the Democratic Party. If Atlanta, a notably black mecca of flourishing businesses and families, is any indication of how Goergia's doing economically, I say Georgia's on to something.

Posted by Ambra at June 16, 2004 8:48 AM in Politics ,Race