Only Black House Republican congressman , William Hurd retirement announcement comes as a blow to party
Rep. William Hurd (R-TX) |
The former CIA agents plans to work in a job in which he can still serve the country outside of Washington. Hurd envisioned a party that looked like the nation he once said. This hope for more diversity and inclusion, which is not currently reflected in GOP leadership and has been a struggle for the party throughout the party for a long time, will make it hard for a Republicans to carry the seat in his South Texas district Hurd vacates. The Republican party has lost 6 members to retirement in the last two weeks, including GOP lawmaker Mike Conaway, who is also from Texas. Hurd was the lone Black Republican in the House and one of the four to vote for the resolution condemning Pres. Donald Trump for telling 4 minority Congress women to "go back from which they came." Unabashedly speaking out against Trump, in an interview Hurd said the president's comments were both racist and xenophobic. Democrats are looking to pick up his seat, which some say Hurd feared he would lose if he ran again in 2020. With his departure, South Carolina's Tim Scott is the sole remaining Black in the Congress. The Republican party under Donald Trump is predominately white and male. Is there room for Blacks in the GOP?