Black Community Plays Huge Factor in Sherrill Gubernatorial Victory
Rev. Charles Boyer, founder of Salvation and Social Justice. Photo courtesy of Salvation and Social Justice.
Latino Community also Votes Strongly for Sherrill During Election
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
ATLANTIC CITY – Rev. Charles Boyer, the influential New Jersey civil rights leader and founder of Salvation and Social Justice in Trenton went to Facebook Thursday to make a pointed political observation.
“Just asking for a friend. Who’s writing the story how Blacks for Jack [Ciattarelli, NJ Republican gubernatorial candidate] was a farce and Black men and women rejected MAGA? Seemed like media couldn’t wait to get stories out that seemed like Black people and churches were supporting Jack during the election. Some of you surely had better reporting than others but none of you have this in your post election analysis,” Boyer said on Facebook.
U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill today is the New Jersey’s governor-elect, winning 56% of the vote against Ciattarelli’s 43% in a race that was not nearly as close as many experts expected. It was that way because Black voters, as well as Latino voters, turned heavily for Sherrill.
According to exit polls from NBC News, while Ciattarelli edged Sherrill among White voters 51-49, She built her lead through the Black community, earning a whopping 94% of the vote compared to 5% for her Republican opponent.
Sherrill added lopsided total from the Latino community as well, with 68% of Hispanic voting for her and 31% casting their lot for Ciattarelli.
Digging deeper, according to an CNN exit poll, 92% of Black men and 95% of Black women voted for Sherrill. Among Hispanics, 73% of Latinas voted for the governor-elect and 61% of Latinos did the same.
“I am proud of our Latino Team and everyone who helped our team succeed,” said influential Latina political strategist Dr. Patricia Campos Medina on Facebook. “I’ve always stated the Latino vote is a swing vote and must be engaged directly, with nuanced and cultural competency.”
Fifty-nine percent of White men voted for Ciattarelli and 46% of White women did the same, according to CNN.
Boyer said while there were plenty of articles written about Ciattarelli’s efforts to reach out to the Black community before the election, he’s seen little perspective afterward.
“The predominantly White media sources were like salivating anytime they saw a Black pastor given a nod to Ciattarelli or seeing him in Black spaces,” Boyer told Front Runner New Jersey.com. “There was this ‘Blacks Back Jack,’ anytime a Black political figure crossed over or endorsed him.
“I think it’s an indictment on the media, predominantly White media to not come back and say anything about what actually happened and especially tell the story of how Black leaders, the Black church and others work very hard to make the case to the Black community of what was at stake in this election.”
After the Democratic primary in June, Boyer and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who came in second to Sherrill, barnstormed New Jersey with “Black Agenda” summits, drawing hundreds at each stop discussing issues and listening to the concerns of the Black electorate.
U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman often joined the group with other local leaders in imploring attendees to get involved and to be vocal about the things that are needed in their communities.
Boyer said the messages they heard at those summits will land on Sherrill’s desk when she takes office. He said the statewide agenda gatherings was the first step in “a multi-part process,” starting with a reconvening of the summit on Dec. 13. Boyer will be hosting a NJ Black Church Post Election Strategy Call on Nov. 10.
“I’m going to be working to make sure that [Sherrill] follows through on things like Black maternal health, housing, education, various issues around there,” Boyer said. “I do feel very confident, and I’ve already spoken to her and the lieutenant governor-elect [Dale Caldwell] multiple times since the election.
“They are extremely appreciative, and definitely have signaled in many ways, that they do not take the Black vote for granted and that they are committed in terms of follow-though.”
Others said they believe Sherrill was listening during the campaign, which resulted in her strong performance in the Black community.
“Governor-elect Sherrill’s success proves what we’ve always said: candidates who speak to the real needs of Black men and their families, including jobs, education, safety, and justice, earn their trust and their votes,” said Michael Bland, executive director of Black Men Vote PAC, in a statement.
“New Jersey’s results are a testament to what happens when engagement starts early and continues beyond Election Day.”
Religious leaders with African American congregations concentrated on getting going to the ballot box. Throughout the state, Boyer and other Black faith leaders took part in “Souls to the Polls” events on Sunday, to make sure their congregations and others in the community voted. They were active on social media to spread the word about these events.
“What I’ve found is that the more the Black church engages on the issues that are important, and the more we take a stand in turbulent times, the more everybody gets involved,” Boyer said. “People are starving for the Black church to take a stand and not to sit on the sidelines and disappear or act like we don’t know what’s going on.
“When we take a stand for the people, it sends a clear signal, and you saw what happened in the election season. Souls to the Polls were shared so many times where even if people weren’t in those rooms or those virtual rooms, they knew the assignment.”
Boyer said he is not expecting Black leaders who were involved during the election to season “to take their foot off the gas,” but to stay motivated through next year’s mid-term elections and beyond.
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