Afros and Elephants: Black Republican Candidates Running Statewide in 2006‪.‬

Introduction For a variety of reasons, some Republican Party strategists and activists have long advocated that the party increase its efforts to win more African American votes. Increased outreach is of paramount importance, as the party struggles to maintain its position in American politics as the country becomes more racially diverse with minorities growing as a percentage of the American electorate. The party's reliance on high proportions of White voters to win elections has been the main engine behind its rise to dominate American politics. However, that strategy will begin to be a losing proposition at the ballot box as more African Americans and Latino/a Americans take to the polls. As a consequence of this changing demographic, the national leadership of the Grand Old Party (GOP) has sought to identify and implement strategies for widening its outreach to minority voters, particularly African Americans.