Three Black governor candidates are poised to make history and actually win their respective races in the most unlikely of locations. Should Republicans be concerned?
Politics
Andrew Gillum of Florida, Stacey Abrams in Georgia and Maryland’s Ben Jealous are 3 Black governor candidates who have turned the political spectrum upside down and given the Democratic Party reason to be giddy with excitement at the possibilities. In all of America’s 242-year history, US voters have elected only 2 African-American governors. Virginia’s Douglas Wilder was the very first and took office in 1990, while former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who won consecutive terms in 2006 and 2010, is the only other.
If Gillum, Abrams, and Jealous are able to pull off a trifecta of triumphs, not only would their victories represent a milestone in their states specifically and in politics as a whole, but it would also symbolize a rejection of Donald Trump’s racially divisive brand of politics.
Let’s take an in-depth look at the 3 Black governor hopefuls:
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BEN JEALOUS – Maryland
Although Ben Jealous has never run for or held political office before now, he is no stranger to politics or the spotlight. The 45-year-old married father of 2 is the former President and CEO of the NAACP, an organization he led from 2008 to 2013.
After beating a cadre of political veterans (including a former adviser to Hillary Clinton and a Maryland state senator), Jealous earned the right to face popular incumbent Gov. Larry Hogan this November. He will take to the polls with him the earned support of such Democratic heavyweights as Sen. Kamala Harris of California and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey.
Ben Jealous is running on a platform of single-payer health care, tuition-free college, and racial justice, which mirrors the platform of his mentor, Bernie Sanders.
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STACEY ABRAMS – Georgia
Is the State of Georgia, known for its racist and segregationist past, ready to elect a Black female as its governor? Better yet, is America ready to elect its first Black female governor ever?
Stacey Abrams, the 44-year-old Mississippi native and daughter of Methodist ministers is a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives. She also served as the minority leader of the Georgia House from 2011 to 2017. An advocate of stricter gun control laws, the expansion of Medicare, and the end of Voter ID laws that disenfranchise minorities and the poor, Abrams will face embattled Georgia secretary of state Brian Kemp this November.
At the launch of her candidacy, the eloquent Abrams told the story of her father, a college-educated black man who was relegated by his race to working at a shipyard in southern Mississippi in the 1970s. Because the family had only 1 car, Robert Abrams would often hitchhike home from work in the middle of the night. When he didn’t make it home one night, the family set out to find him. They eventually found him half-frozen by the side of the road after giving his coat to a homeless man. When they asked why a poor man on a lonely road at night such as himself would give away his only source of protection from the elements, Robert Abrams said, “Because I knew you were coming for me.”
Among scattered sniffles in the crowd, Stacey Adams then roared: “I am coming for YOU, Georgia! Help me get there!”
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ANDREW GILLUM – Florida
Andrew Gillum, the Democratic and Black governor candidate from Florida, is the current Mayor of Tallahassee. The 39-year-old married father of 3 is also a former member of the Tallahassee City Commission, a post he won at the age of only 23 which made him the city’s youngest commissioner in its history.
According to his website, Gillum says he is “running for Governor to rebuild Florida into a state that works for all of us.” He also added that his issues of importance include assuring the availability of quality and affordable health care (particularly for those with pre-existing conditions), strengthening our public schools, and tackling climate change.
Gillum’s historic Black governor candidacy has already been marred by the stench of racism. His opponent, Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis, came under fire recently when he warned Florida voters not to elect Gillum and allow him to “Monkey this up!” His use of the term “monkey” has historically been used as a racist comparison of African-Americans to monkeys and his detractors say DeSantis knew exactly what he was doing when he chose his words.
Additionally, the FBI is investigating a series of robocalls paid for by a neo-Nazi group in Idaho that were designed to stir up racial stereotypes against Gillum.
The automated calls were narrated by someone pretending to be Gillum and used an exaggerated minstrel dialect with jungle noises in the background. The calls also included a disclaimer that they were funded by The Road to Power, an anti-Semitic and white supremacist website.
“This is reprehensible — and could only have come from someone with intentions to fuel hatred and seek publicity. Please don’t give it undeserved attention,” said Geoff Burgan, communications director for the Gillum campaign.
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Politics
Are 3 Black governor candidates on the verge of making US history? Will their campaigns set the tone for a new Democratic Party and Democratic wins going forward?
“Black voters, and particularly black women, are the bedrock of the Democratic Party, and it’s incredibly important that our candidates and policies reflect that in 2018,” Gillum spokesman Geoff Burgan said. “But it’s also critically important for us to recognize that issues of economic fairness, race and gender all align under the progressive umbrella — and those policies are winning at the ballot box.”
Those sentiments were echoed by other concerned parties.
“What we know is that being anti-Trump but yet moderate on critical issues like health care, immigration, minimum wage and criminal justice reform {has not been seen as} a winning combination for Democrats,” said Quentin James, executive director of The Collective PAC, which is dedicated to electing progressive African-American candidates. “We may sound like a broken record, but that is the winning formula for us in November.”
What will the candidacies of Jealous, Abrams, and Gillum mean for the future of the Democratic Party? What will their candidacies mean for the future of America? Will wins from 1, 2, or all 3 denote an end to the divisive and racist brand of Donald Trump politics? Or, will southern voters stick to their roots, dash the dreams of these African-American candidates, and, in the words of Donald Trump: “Take our country back”?
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Thanks DJ. I was hoping you’d cover credible Black candidates running in the midterm elections. Two of the three candidates you mentioned were already on my list – Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum.
Also on my list is Ayanna Pressley- “first woman of Color to serve in the 100-year history of the Boston City seeking election to the U.S. House to represent Massachusetts District 7.”
All three, IMO, have a compelling bio. All three have run for, and won, their respective political offices. And that is incredibly important to me, especially these days. Which is why I can’t quite get behind supporting Ben Jealous. I prefer young, candidates with fresh faces/voices AND actual Experience in governing.