Report Issued on Blacks Attending 2000 Republican Convention

Washington -- A total of 85 black delegates are attending this year's Republican National Convention, a 63 percent increase over the 1996 count and the second highest delegate count for these events in the modern era, says the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

In a press release dated July 31, the Joint Center announced the release of its quadrennial report entitled "Blacks and the 2000 Republican National Convention."

The report, authored by David A. Bositis, a senior research associate, examines the participation of African-Americans in the Republican Party -- also known as the "GOP" for "Grand Old Party" -- and in this year's GOP convention, which opened July 31 in Philadelphia.

The report also looks at black trends in partisanship and voting and summarizes the attitudes of black voters on key public policy issues.

According to Joint Center President Eddie Williams, because the 2000 presidential election contest between Texas Governor George W. Bush and Democrat Vice President Al Gore "will likely be very close, the black vote will play a pivotal role, particularly in "swing states," the term used for states that could go either way.

"Blacks comprise a significant voting bloc in Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Louisiana, Ohio, New Jersey, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee -- many of the states won by Bill Clinton in 1996, but are likely to be strongly contested by George W. Bush this year. This report puts into perspective the significance of the black vote for the Republican Party."

Prominent black Republicans participating in this year's convention include Retired General Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Condoleeza Rice, Governor Bush's foreign policy advisor, who was a member of President George Bush's national security staff.

Although national surveys conducted by the Joint Center between 1984 and 1990 showed an increased appeal to the GOP among black voters, the Joint Center said, only 8.3 percent of black voters identify with the party today. African-Americans over 50 vote solidly Democratic, but there has been a slight shift among younger blacks (18-25) to the Republican Party. A recent Joint Center 2000 national survey of young African-American adults revealed that 31.6 percent of younger blacks identified themselves as conservatives, which may bode well for GOP candidates.

According to Bositis, "Although younger blacks today are somewhat more conservative than older African-Americans on certain policy issues, nevertheless these beliefs do not automatically translate into GOP support." Bositis predicts that "the 2000 elections will continue an African-American Democratic voting trend -- a trend now more than 35 years old."

Interested persons should contact the Joint Center's Office of Communications and Marketing at (202) 789-6366 for a copy of the report. A report entitled Blacks and the 2000 Democratic National Convention will be released in August.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a non-partisan, non-profit organization, conducts research and analyses on public policy issues of concern to African-Americans and other minorities, and promotes their involvement in the governance process.