Republicans holding their national convention in Milwaukee are making a big effort to highlight the party’s diversity.
The Black vote is often relied on as Democratic, but on Tuesday, leaders from Chicago and the suburbs gathered in Milwaukee with the message: Don’t take their votes for granted.
Chicago Pastor Corey Brooks will take center stage as the Republican National Convention’s final speaker Tuesday night. Brooks, who leads New Beginnings Church on the South Side, previously supported Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“In the past, people may have felt like the Republican Party was not welcoming them or not inviting them, but it's a new day,” Brooks said.
Tuesday’s theme is immigration. Along with inflation, he believes those are the top issues his Chicago parishioners care about, and the GOP’s message resonates.
“I think the Democratic Party has made promises they haven't kept to the Black community and just came looking for us for votes when it comes to election time,” said Mayor Richard Irvin from Aurora.
Irvin, who ran and lost in the 2022 Illinois Republican gubernatorial primary, founded the Black Republican Mayor’s Association. At a packed event Tuesday in Milwaukee, the organization celebrated Black delegates and politicians.
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“I am a Republican mayor in a blue city in a blue state,” Irvin said.
South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott also emerged as a key speaker at the event, who had also been on the short list to be former President Donald Trump's running mate.
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“As African American conservatives, sometimes it's easy to feel like you're the only one,” Scott said. “You are not the only one. There are thousands, if not millions, all around the country who believe like we believe.”
Brooks, meanwhile, points to the first night of the RNC, when the president of the Teamsters spoke to republicans across America, as proof the party today is more diverse.
“The Republican Party is not just for the country boys and at the country boy club. It's a party that's welcoming a lot of people like myself,” Brooks said.
