Black conservatives back party but demand more GOP outreach

With midterms hours away, Black Republicans said they want more GOP outreach in Black communities. Conservative voters recently gathered in Houston to support Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s U.S. Senate campaign.

For the few Black attendees at the event, including longtime Republican supporters, the enthusiasm for Paxton came with an acknowledgment that Republicans need to do more to engage Black communities.

Bishop Dr. Kendall Baker, a Houston native, said the community cannot be treated as a monolithic entity.

“Black folk are tired of being used,” Baker said. “People assume that we’re Democrats. It’s a bad strategy…That Black Democrat thing is dead.”

Several polls place Talarico ahead of Paxton in the race. If Paxton is unable to close the gap, he would be the first Republican in the state to lose an election in over three decades.

To garner the Black vote, Paxton’s opponent, Talarico, has been consistently seen in Houston’s Black communities, including churches such as Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church and college campuses such as Texas Southern University. In July, he also pledged $25 million to expand Black voter outreach across the state and hired Black outreach professionals to increase turnout from the community during the election cycle.

Three Black conservatives, three messages

Ericka McCrutcheon, a pastor, named “faith, family and freedom” as what draws her to Paxton.

“The greatest need that we have in the African American community is our male leadership,” said McCrutcheon, adding that she wants legislation to help Black men get out of prison and “into their homes”.

But she wants the GOP to do more.

“I would like to see the Republican Party get more out into the Black community and give another side,” McCrutcheon added, saying she is a Christian first before being loyal to any political party.

The Republicans need a liaison in the Black community, echoed a Republican nominee for a Texas House District seat. She added Republicans have not maintained a sufficient presence in predominantly Black neighborhoods.

“There should have been more [GOP outreach in Black communities],” the candidate said. “As a constituent in a predominantly Black area, one complaint that I get is there isn’t enough representation of Republicans. This is one of the reasons that I’m approaching Ken Paxton’s camp because I believe they need some sort of a liaison and people that have their ear to the ground in the community and let them know this is where you need to go.”

She also warned against candidates from both sides viewing the community as “some voting bloc.”

Meanwhile, the founder of Urban Conservatives United in Houston, Jonathan McCullough, said he stands against “men going into women’s spaces” and the “transition of children” unacceptable.

“One of the main reasons for that is the lack of information,” McCullough said. “If most Black voters that are Democrat understood what was at stake, understood policy, then they would vote the way I vote. But we’re talking about a base that is, I’m not insulting anybody, ill-informed.”

Paxton’s promises and a pardon advocate

Paxton reiterated his economic policy pitch of a $25,000 deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses, a $15,000 deduction for buying a home and a doubled child tax credit.

Touting his record as attorney general, Paxton said, “This isn’t just red versus blue. It’s the America our founders gave us versus something they would never recognize.”

Alice Marie Johnson, a criminal justice reform advocate convicted in 1996 and sentenced to life before her release, said she was there on her own.

“I’ve looked at his record as attorney general, I’m like, ‘that man is something else,’” Johnson said. “He does not mind going in to fight to get things changed. We don’t need someone that goes along to get along…We’re voting for freedom, because freedom ain’t free.”

What the other supporters said

Paxton’s supporters echoed his campaign promises.

Matthew Hagen, a Houston precinct lead, cited keeping “men out of women’s sports” and protecting oil and gas jobs, which he called “the backbone for Texas,” as important issues for him.

Joseph Trahan said he “hates socialism” and predicted a win “by at least three or four points.” 

Meanwhile, Ryan Miranda, whose family fled Cuba, described Paxton’s 2023 impeachment as “politically motivated.”

Not everyone was certain of the outcome in the race on Nov. 3.

Another supporter, Mark Goloby, said the race will be “closer than it should be, only because of some of the internal issues within the Republican Party.”

As Election Day approaches, regardless of the race’s outcome, Black conservative voters still demand more sustained outreach rather than last-minute campaign promises.