OPINION —
On July 18 at the Alabama State House, Republicans proposed adding African American voters to one of Alabama’s seven congressional districts. That didn’t dissuade critics who argued that falls short of the wish of the U.S. Supreme Court to create another majority-minority Black district or something akin to one.
I am reminded of two politicians whose early careers I followed through Atlanta newspapers in the early 1970s and then in the mid-1980s when I was an Army newspaper editor in Georgia. Redistricting might have crushed their political ambitions, but that did not happen.
First, Wyche Fowler. He was a city councilman in Atlanta chosen to lead the diverse council there. That was in 1970 through 1974. By 1977, he was a U.S. Congressman who later won nine terms despite representing a majority-Black district. A white liberal Democrat, he even was elected statewide in a conservative state, for one U.S. Senate term (1986-1992).
Second, John Lewis. A civil-rights hero, Lewis struggled in his 1986 campaign for the U.S. House. He challenged Julian Bond, a silver-tongued orator. Bond had a wide following in the Black community. Yet, Lewis won the Democratic runoff. How? He captured a lot of votes from white liberals who accounted for a third of the potential voters.
Alfonse D’Amato was one of several Republican office seekers who won his U.S. Senate elections “on the coattails” of Ronald Reagan in 1980. But D’Amato, a genuinely conservative politician, was reelected twice, until losing in 1998 to Chuck Schumer, then a congressman. Perhaps 65 to 70% of New York State voters were Democrats and liberals, yet D’Amato got many of their votes.
Why? Because of a true case of retail politics. D’Amato was nicknamed “Senator Pothole,” as he delivered constituent services well. The senator’s staff looked into the individual cases. Some New Yorkers saw the nickname as an insult; others saw it as an honor for D’Amato. (Traditionally, mayors, aldermen, etc. get upset when a U.S. senator does those tasks.)
Terri Sewell has served since 2011 as the U.S. Representative for the 7th Congressional District of Alabama. Her district encompasses most of the Black Belt and most African American portions of Birmingham, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa. Hers is a strongly majority-minority area. Yet, Sewell has a record of bipartisanship; she doesn’t always operate as a Democratic partisan.
Contrast that to Maxine Waters, a Californian who has served in the House since 1991, in three different districts. As an African-American, she has been a mouthpiece for her constituents as a shield. But she has made controversial statements and many colleagues have upbraided her for yelling insults and slurs. Waters once told demonstrators in Minnesota to “get more confrontational” if the policeman charged with George Floyd’s murder was acquitted.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a white second-term congresswoman for Georgia is known mostly for her divisive speech, such as saying Adolf Hitler was not that bad. She has a “safe seat” in north Georgia, which is dominated by whites. I often think of trying to determine how much time she spends on her actual legislative work, instead of being a TV personality.
No congressional seat is Muslim in its majority. But districts in Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota have gradually grown into having significant constituencies of Muslims. So far, four Muslim Americans have entered Congress, led by Keith Ellison in 2006. He was later elected Minnesota’s attorney general.
Ellison converted to Muslim in 1982 and was in the House from 2007 to 2019. Raised as a Baptist, Andre Carson has represented Indiana since 2008. Ilhan Omar was elected to the House in 2018 and still serves; she is an immigrant to the U.S. from Somalia. Rashida Tlaib has been a Member of the House since 2019.
Redistricting is often controversial and brings out opponents and supporters. This year’s sudden Supreme Court-ordered relook is being followed because the U.S. Congress today has a very close number of members. If a second Alabama district becomes majority-minority Black, and if four others elsewhere do, the House becomes Democratic. Kevin McCarthy, who has wanted to be the speaker for years, will be reduced to “minority leader.”
Greg Markley first moved to Lee County in 1996. He has masters degrees in education and history. He taught politics as an adjunct in Georgia and Alabama. An award-winning writer in the Army and civilian life, he has contributed to The Observer for 12 years. gm.markley@charter.net