Gillum's upset win in Florida swells the surge of black leaders
Democrats are sending three black nominees for governor to November’s general elections, setting up a stark contrast to Trump’s divisive politics.
By DAVID SIDERS 08/29/2018 07:14 AM EDT Updated 08/29/2018 12:54 PM EDT
First Stacey Abrams romped to victory in Georgia’s gubernatorial primary. Then came Ben Jealous in Maryland and, on Tuesday, Andrew Gillum.
Five years after the rise of Black Lives Matter — and against the backdrop of a White House that has inflamed racial tensions nationwide — Gillum’s upset win in Florida laid bare the potency of a new generation of black leaders gradually coming to power within the Democratic Party.
With Gillum’s defeat of former Rep. Gwen Graham, Democrats will send three black nominees for governor to November’s general elections. A large number of African Americans are running for competitive House seats in majority-white districts. A black Democrat could become the next House speaker, and several of the Democratic Party’s top-tier prospective presidential candidates are black.
“There is an undeniable energy behind women and candidates of color across the country, and it is in direct defiance to the man in the Oval Office right now,” said Bill Burton, a veteran Democratic consultant.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/29/andrew-gillum-democrats-black-candidates-801355
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