Are black Republicans running for office the death knell of the Democratic Party?

OPINION:

There are more black Americans running as Republicans for public office than ever before. These candidates include U.S. Senate candidates John James in Michigan, Omari Faulkner in Virginia and Peggy Hubbard in Illinois, congressional candidates Angela Stanton-King in Georgia, Jeff Dove in Virginia, Kathy Barnette in Pennsylvania, Bryon Donalds in Florida and Brad Mole in South Carolina.

In addition, there are other black candidates for office like Mark Robinson, who is the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in North Carolina, as well as scores of candidates for the state legislature, county councils and city councils across the land. These courageous African-American candidates are difficult to track down and count, but they are out there carrying the banner of conservatism and of Donald Trump. 

Nothing like this has happened since the 1930s, when black Americans switched from a GOP that ignored them to back Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt for president. What is happening in 2020 is a historic event that is going almost unreported. In fact, it is the biggest untold story of this election year.  

Not every one of these men and women will win. In fact, it is unlikely that a majority of these black Republican candidates will win. Nevertheless, this is just the beginning of a remigration of black Americans back to the Republican Party thanks to Mr. Trump. Make no mistake, this may be small stream in 2020, but in a few years it will turn into a roaring river if the GOP stays the course set by Mr. Trump. 

This is definitely not a one-time event, or some blip on the screen. These black Republican candidates represent the tip of a growing movement of black Americans fleeing the failed policies of the Democratic Party, and rallying under the banner of Donald Trump.   

There are similarities between the shift of black Americans to the Democratic Party in the early 1930s and what is happening today. Today’s Democratic Party is losing black voters, and it’s no wonder why. The Democrats consistently support policies that hurt black Americans. They block high-quality choice schools that provide a solid education that provides a path out of poverty.

Democrats support Planned Parenthood, which specifically targets black babies for abortion. They support open borders that flood black areas with low-skilled workers who steal black jobs and force down the wages of those who still have jobs. They intentionally drive up energy prices that hurt poor black Americans, making it nearly impossible for them to escape poverty. 

In stark contrast, President Trump has created a roaring economy that has not only brought about the lowest unemployment rate for black Americans in history, but has also caused black wages to rise for the first time in more than 30 years. And while President Obama talked about prison reform, President Trump made it happen. Mr. Trump also made the transition to society easier by creating pathways to good-paying jobs for those non-violent black offenders released from prison.

In the 2020 election, it bears tracking black support for Donald Trump in contested races (those races where Mr. Trump will have the greatest communication with black voters). If it reaches or exceeds 20 percent, that will be a death knell for the Democratic Party. If the GOP starts winning 20 percent or more of the black vote, it is curtains for the current, radical Democratic Party.  

• Bruce Eberle and Vernon Robinson are co-authors of “Coming Home: How Black Americans Will Reelect Trump.”