Black Voters Propelled Blue Wave, Study Finds
African-Americans increasingly associate GOP with Trump, racist rhetoric
Posted Nov 19, 2018 3:07 PM
Stephanie Akin
@stephanieakin
Democratic wins in the 2018 midterms were driven largely by African American voters — particularly black women — who increasingly associate the GOP with President Trump’s perceived hostility toward people of color and immigrants, according to an analysis released Monday.
The report by the NAACP, the racial justice nonprofit Advancement Project, and the political action group African American Research Collaborative found that across competitive elections 90 percent of black voters supported Democratic House candidates, compared to 53 percent of voters overall. It also found 91 percent of black women, 86 percent of black men and 50 percent of white voters believe Trump and the GOP are using toxic rhetoric to divide the nation.
“This poll dispels the myth of black voter apathy,†said Judith Browne Dianis, Advancement Project executive director. “Clearly black voters are not only engaged, but they are central to the resistance against Trumpism.â€
Get-out-the-vote campaigns organized by the NAACP, the Advancement Project and other groups drove record numbers of black voters to the polls, said Jamal Watkins, NAACP vice president of engagement. Nearly twice as many African-Americans voted Nov. 6 as in the 2014 midterm cycle, a turnout on par with the 2016 presidential election, Watkins said.
He credited those voters with driving a banner year for black congressional candidates and other groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in Congress.
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http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/the-blue-wave-was-propelled-by-black-voters-survey-finds
