Democrats Forced to Face Issue of Race
I suspect Democrats are going to be able to hold these primaries without the race cards flying like confetti as you might see in a similar race that pitted urban vs. suburban in the GOP, but the next few months will tell this tale.
When it comes to the urbs vs. the burbs there’s much more in common than the divide between urban and rural.
House Democrats could endure an unprecedented number of primaries this cycle that pit white and black Members against each other thanks to redistricting.
The emerging Member-vs.-Member contests stand to stir tensions between the Congressional Black Caucus and the broader Democratic ranks as well as fracture state delegations.
Republicans controlled redistricting in many high-stakes states this cycle, giving Democrats little say in the makeup of the new districts. Recently passed maps in Michigan, Missouri, California and other states will likely force races between white and minority Democrats.
“It’s infinitely easier to put an urban district, which is represented by an
African-American, with a suburban Democratic district and force a shoot-out among people who philosophically are twins,” Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) said. “That creates an awkward situation inside the Democratic Caucus.”