Several of North Carolina's most influential Black political action committees are joining forces to back Democrats running for statewide offices.
Political organizing groups run by Black community leaders in Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Charlotte and Bladen County held a news conference Wednesday to announce their endorsements. The groups are exclusively endorsing Democrats, including Josh Stein for governor over Republican Mark Robinson, who would be the state's first Black governor if elected.
"This is the first time that we have ever come together as a united coalition of PACs across the state of North Carolina, but we have the same strategy — that is to get out the vote, to make people know who they are voting for, and to make sure that we have representatives at the polls," said Melvin "Skip" Alston, who leads Greensboro's Simkins Memorial PAC.
Alston said the groups plan to do door-to-door canvassing, register voters and provide transportation to the polls. The coalition includes the Raleigh Wake Citizens Association, the George C. Simkins, Jr. Memorial PAC of Guilford County, the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, and the Bladen Improvement Association. The Black Political Caucus of Charlotte Mecklenburg is part of the effort but plans to announce its endorsements later.
Asked whether the groups considered backing Robinson given the historic nature of his candidacy, Steve Bowden of the Simkins Memorial PAC said, "We hope that the united front of this PAC shows our Black community where the leadership that they've depended on for so many years is on that question. We have obviously endorsed Josh Stein for governor."
The coalition endorsed all of the Democrats running for Council of State positions as well as Supreme Court, Court of Appeals races and Kamala Harris for president. Stein and many of the statewide candidates spoke during Wednesday's news conference.
"These candidates have a proven track record of being champions for the African American communities and other minority groups that have been overlooked for far too long," Alston said. "They are committed to breaking down barriers and removing stumbling blocks that crippled our communities for years."
Stein thanked the groups for their support.
"These organizations that we've just heard from have spent decades loving North Carolina, even when that love was not reciprocated," he said. "They've been working to improve the lives of Black North Carolinians and bringing us closer to fulfilling the promise of North Carolina."
