Fall elections: Stakes remains high for Black politicians

New Crisis, The, Sep/Oct 2002 by Russell, Malik

This year, elections involving Black politicians have garnered wide attention. Two veterans of Congress - Rep. Earl Hilliard (D-Ala.) and Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) - have been defeated in Democratic primaries that turned on Middle East issues. Two other Southern politicians are attempting to make history by being elected to the U.S. Senate, which hasn't had a Black member since Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois was defeated in 1998.

With Democrats holding a one-vote majority in the Senate and the Republican advantage in the U.S. House of Representatives standing at only six seats, the fate of Black politicians in Congressional races stands to affect control of Congress.

Historical trends bode well for Democrats, says David Bositis, senior research analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Wash ington. "Republicans took over in 1994 and ever since have lost seats in the House, and now it's getting down to the point where they can't afford to lose any more," he says. "In the off-- year elections, the president's party [usually] loses seats, so if there's a solid Black vote and the Democrats do reasonably well, they could take over the House."

If Democrats regain the House, Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), and John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) would chair prominent committees - Ways and Means and Judiciary, respectively.

On the Senate side, Dan Blue of North Carolina is vying for the seat Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) is vacating. Ron Kirk, the former mayor of Dallas who has been supported by the Democratic National Committee, is attempting to win the seat of Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas), who is retiring.

According to political analysts, Kirk stands the best chance of becoming the first African American senator from the South since Reconstruction.

"The odds are still against [Ron Kirk], but he does have a chance to win. I know Ron Kirk, and he is a fabulous candidate," says Bositis. "It's going to be a tough race. Texas is a Republican state, but there are a lot of White people who vote Republican in Texas who like Kirk."

There was a lot of national Jewish interest in a key race in Georgia's 4th District. Newcomer Denise Majette ousted McKinney, a 10-year incumbent, in an August primary. Majette received considerable financial support from pro-Israel donors, as well as Republicans who crossed over to vote against McKinney.

The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee appeared to target Majette, an African American former state judge, steering contributions to her campaign in an effort to unseat McKinney, who was among four CBC members and 21 House members who voted against a resolution supporting Ariel Sharon's Israel policies while condemning the actions of Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority.

Because of her stance on Middle East issues, McKinney was viewed as pro-Palestinian. She received financial support from Arab interest groups, drawing the ire of pro-Jewish ones. In the end, Majette's coffers topped $1.1 million, almost twice the $640,000 McKinney raised. On Aug. 20, Majette defeated McKinney 58 to 42 percent.

In June, Hilliard, who faced ethical issues related to improper handling of gifts, lost in a similar race to Artur Davis, a 34-year-old African American newcomer heavily supported by Jewish donors.

Now that the nation has emerged from the post-civil rights era, African American voters appear no longer willing to put the same Black politicians into office unless they prove their mettle. Observers note the Black electorate is increasingly well-educated and entrepreneurial and no longer a homogenous bloc when it comes to key issues such as education and tax reform.

Whether or not history is made, this year's elections are undoubtedly signaling a change.