Black Democrats try to revive party in Trump territory

PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- Chris Jones would seem to have an ideal biography to run for governor, a job that's wide open in Arkansas for the first time in eight years.

He's both an ordained Baptist minister and a nuclear engineer who can talk about his faith as easily as scientific concepts. He's upbeat and personable, as evidenced by his announcement video that quickly went viral nationwide.

There's a catch, though. Jones is a Democrat in a state that has gone from red to extremely red in recent years. Donald Trump carried it in 2020 with 62% of the vote. And he's Black, where Black people account for only 16.5% of the population and where no African American has ever won statewide office.

What's more, if he wins his party's nomination he'll probably have to face a nationally known figure: Sarah Sanders, the former press secretary for Trump and daughter of former Gov. Mike Huckabee. She's already raised more than $13.6 million.

Read more: https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/2022/apr/02/black-democrats-try-to-revive-party-in-trump/