GOP makes gains with minorities. Will it change the party?
When Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi tore up President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech in February 2020, she inspired a Black female Iraq War veteran to run for office – as a Republican.
As Lt. Col. Jennifer-Ruth Green watched Ms. Pelosi’s symbolic gesture on television, she thought to herself: Congress declares war. If you are telling me that you are not listening, how do I know when you declare war that you have heard all sides?
“In the military, we focus on bringing people together regardless of any differences, because the mission is so important,” says Lieutenant Colonel Green, an Air Force reservist who won the GOP primary in Indiana’s 1st Congressional District last month.
While the political environment looks increasingly favorable to Republicans heading into the fall midterms, the number of competitive districts has dwindled compared with previous cycles, thanks to aggressive gerrymandering. So diverse candidates like Ms. Green represent a critical part of the GOP’s effort to win more Democratic-held seats.
It’s a strategy Republicans launched a decade ago and are leaning in on: recruiting and supporting candidates of color who could represent and appeal to a broader range of voters. In 2020, were Republican.
