WASHINGTON (AP) — Yearning for change, a group of progressive Black Democratic congressional hopefuls is rushing toward the national stage, igniting rank-and-file enthusiasm in a party dominated by aging white leaders.
“The leadership of the party has to catch up with public opinion, which is largely progressive,” said Mondaire Jones, who’s fighting for a vacant seat from a tony district in New York City’s northern suburbs.
Sochie Nnaemeka, New York state director of the progressive Working Families Party, said candidates of color also gain appeal from their authenticity.
Many moderates dispute that the Democratic Party is increasingly becoming controlled by progressives and that Black voters inevitably skew to the left.
Other candidates of color seeking Democratic congressional nominations Tuesday included Ritchie Torres, a New York City council member running for an open seat from a diverse Bronx district.
