Senate candidates court black officials

[Freddie Stubbs]

By JIM THARPE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/27/04


SAVANNAH — Six of Georgia's eight Democratic U.S. Senate hopefuls showed up in this Georgia port city this past weekend, trolling for votes among an increasingly decisive electorate in the state Democratic Party — African-American voters.

Rep. Denise Majette (D-Ga.), state Sen. Mary Squires (D-Norcross), millionaire entrepreneur Cliff Oxford, lawyers Sid Cottingham and James Finkelstein and businessman Govind Patel all came courting at the summer gathering of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials. The group concluded its four-day meeting Sunday.

Black voters cast 45 percent of Democratic ballots in the 2002 primary and could comprise a majority of Democratic voters in the July 20 primary for the first time in Georgia history.

That growing clout in the Democrat Party has made events like the GABEO convention a magnet for candidates running for statewide office.

more: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0604/28blackofficials.html