As a Black Republican, I’m a walking violation of demographics
Too many of my friends, family, students, reporters and readers say I can’t be politically independent because of my Republican Party affiliation. To participate fully in Connecticut politics, however, voters in Connecticut’s closed primary system (versus open primary elections) have to be affiliated with a political party. Otherwise, they can’t participate in the early candidate selection process.
But the majority of voters in Connecticut are unaffiliated with a political party for a reason. And I respect that, because both major political parties are broken. A former student chastised me that I’m a “closeted independent.” I’ll take the title as a badge of honor rather than a slight, especially since several academic colleagues expect me to disown my party affiliation.
Like family, though, being in a political party is never easy. My Republican grandmother, who was a community leader, often reminded me that I can choose to split my ticket instead of voting the straight party line because who I vote for in the general election is my business. And I regularly remind students that it’s best to have a party affiliation so that you can participate in the primary elections as well as donate time and money to candidates. I do all these — but I support candidates and not the political parties directly. I am proud not to be a straight ticket voter, even though many of you assume that I would so easily go for one party over the other.
In fact, for the first time in decades I voted for a local Republican leader last month. I did so because I had previously lived in New Haven, Jersey City, Newark and Washington, D.C., where there has long been a one-party monopoly. Last week, I mentioned to my Branford first selectman that at least in my West Hartford hometown, we had Republican candidates for mayor and town council. But I have supported more Republican candidates for state and local offices than national offices, like many voters do in Connecticut.
Yet on a regular basis, Republicans will claim they’re more Republican, and they think that a litmus test can somehow prove their point. I easily respond that I am fourth-generation Republican and that Black Americans helped expand the party from the very beginning. These sudden-Republicans often admit that they just recently registered for the political party, usually because of Donald Trump.
But not every party-affiliated voter is in a political party because of a former president. And many find discomfort in their presidential candidates, Democrats included. After all, Joe Biden was not every Democrat’s favorite candidate last year , let alone in 1988 and 2008.
Am I ashamed of my political party? Nationally, yes. But I have been for years. The Grand Old Party has been in disarray for generations, and the national party was a populist one before Donald Trump ran for president. I actually gave up on Washington and the national Republican Party when I left our nation’s capital in 1999. Interestingly, I had worked as a congressional aide for both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
At least I now live in my native Connecticut, where local Republican candidates often pay more attention to state and local issues that affect our economy and it’s not always about what’s happening in dysfunctional Washington. I’m certain that I’m not the only Nutmegger who ticket-splits and who remains in a political party for state and local reasons. But at least I will confess to it.
Just please don’t assume that because I’m affiliated with one party, I vote accordingly. As my former department chairman jokingly said to political science majors, “Wharton’s a walking violation of demographics.” As a Black gay academic, let me walk on — and maybe more of you who ticket-split will admit to walking with me.
I’m certain that I’m not the only Nutmegger who ticket-splits and who remains in a political party for state and local reasons.