A record number of Black GOP candidates are running this midterm season. Here’s why that matters

The 2022 midterm elections have drawn a record number of Black Republican candidates running for Congress.

It’s a remarkable turn in an election season marred by the increasing embrace of racist rhetoric and policies by GOP lawmakers and candidates.

The National Republican Congressional Committee says 28 Black candidates have made it past the nomination process this election season, down from 80 at the start.

By contrast, there are just three Black Republicans currently in Congress — the largest number to serve simultaneously since Reconstruction.

To discuss what this trend means for the GOP and Black voters, the PBS NewsHour's Nicole Ellis spoke with Theodore Johnson, a fellow at the policy think tank New America.

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