Former Oklahoma Congressman Urges GOP to Focus More on Minority Issues
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.
The Republican Party cannot survive unless it makes more inroads among Blacks and other minority groups, says former Oklahoma congressman J.C. Watts.
Watts, a Republican, spoke to an audience of about 175 at a dinner in downtown Little Rock, held as a fund-raiser for Asa Hutchinson, who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor.
“We cannot sustain ourselves as a party if we don’t do better in those non-traditional constituencies,” says Watts, one of only a handful of nationally known Black Republicans. “I think we have to understand that the question for our party in the 21st century is, ‘Why is it that so many Black people who agree with Asa Hutchinson and would agree with us as Republicans don’t vote that way?’”
Over the next several years, Watts says, Republicans have a chance to appeal to more Black voters by focusing on issues ranging from home ownership to education.
“We need to say, ‘If you want an opportunity to own a home, if you want quality education for your children and if you want an entrepreneurial opportunity, come into our tent,’” he says.
