Georgia’s black Republicans are strategizing for the 2024 election
The last Sunday of Black History Month was filled with energy at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. Amidst soul-stirring gospel songs, a trio of children highlighted the church’s political significance. Martin Luther King Jr. was baptized and preached there, and over the years, church members became lawmakers. A little girl proudly announced to the congregation that Georgia’s first black senator is their pastor, Raphael Warnock, who, along with another Democrat, helped flip control of the Senate in early 2021. The atmosphere was electric as cheers erupted in the pews and Warnock reached out for a fist-bump.
The night before, a different group of black Georgians gathered at a converted downtown warehouse for the Georgia Black Republican Council’s first-ever masquerade ball. Ranchers and representatives delivered Trumpian speeches, while women in red sequinned gowns and fur stoles discussed their plans to persuade friends to vote Republican in November.
With approximately 30% of black voters, Georgia has the highest share of any battleground state. The influx of black people into metro-Atlanta over the past two decades has made Georgia the only Deep South state where Democrats can compete. In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win there since 1992. However, with a potential Biden-Trump rematch, Democrats are concerned about losing ground with their most loyal voting bloc.
2024-03-27 09:13:29
Article from www.economist.com