Republicans Aim to Maintain Momentum Among Black Voters

DALLAS — T.W. Shannon, former chair of Black Voices for Trump, believes the Republican Party can sustain the traction gained with Black voters during the 2024 presidential race despite Donald Trump not being on the ballot for the 2026 midterm elections. Shannon, a former Oklahoma state House Speaker, is currently the Republican lieutenant governor nominee in his state. He argues that Republican policies and the Democratic Party’s shift further left will aid in courting Black voters.

According to a Fox News Voter Analysis, Trump won 16% of the Black vote in the 2024 presidential election, nearly twice as much as four years earlier. Shannon highlighted the GOP’s focus on job creation and reducing crime rates during the second Trump administration, emphasizing their benefits to Black communities.

Shannon criticized Democratic candidates supported by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), pointing to their agenda of raising taxes and considering the disbanding of the police as unpopular with Black communities.

“It’s because Donald Trump has transformed the Republican Party back into the working party. You see Democrats competing for the Black vote now. Something that you used to not see at all,” Shannon told Fox News Digital.

However, Democrats provide a different perspective. A spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) argued that Black Americans would reject Trump’s policies, which they describe as a “billionaires-first, cost-raising agenda.” They emphasized their efforts to lower costs and support working families, highlighting ongoing voter registration and mobilization efforts for Black voters.

Shannon, a native of Lawton and the first African American House Speaker in Oklahoma, as well as a member of the Chickasaw Nation, is expected to secure a win in the Republican-leaning state. Speaking at the GOP midterm convention, Shannon expressed pride in sharing Oklahoma’s and America’s stories on the national stage.

Paul Steinhauser covers the national campaign trail from coast to coast for Fox News.